Geno Auriemma Explains Why UConn Never Paired Caitlin Clark With Paige Bueckers

Iowa basketball fans have long wondered what might have been if Caitlin Clark had traded her Hawkeye black and gold for UConn Husky blue. But Geno Auriemma, the legendary UConn head coach, says the superstar pairing with Paige Bueckers would never have worked.

In a recent interview with USA Today Sports, posted to Instagram on August 14, Auriemma addressed the hypothetical matchup that has fueled college basketball debates for years. His answer was direct and final.

What did Geno Auriemma say about recruiting Caitlin Clark?

“When I saw Paige play, the commitment to Paige was very early,” Auriemma said. “And if I didn't think we could get Paige, who knows what would have happened? Who knows who we may have recruited, who we may have gotten. But I knew we were going to get Paige. I also knew that that's not going to work, the two of them together for four years in college. No disrespect to anybody. We got what we wanted. We got what we needed. And the rest is history.”

Auriemma committed to Bueckers early, not because Clark lacked talent. Both players were top recruits in the high school class of 2020, with Clark ranked No. 4 nationally and Bueckers leading the country. But bringing both ball-dominant guards into the same backcourt would have created a crowded situation, he explained.

Why did UConn pass on Clark?

This wasn't the first time Auriemma addressed the decision. Back on April 2, 2024, ahead of the Huskies' matchup against Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes, he offered a similar explanation.

“Well, there's a lot of kids we didn't recruit, and there's a lot of kids who don't want to go to UConn. I committed to Paige Bueckers very, very early, and it would have been silly for me to say to Paige, 'Hey listen, we're going to put you in the backcourt, and then I'm going to try really hard to recruit Caitlin Clark.' I don't do it that way.”

The decision was about fit, not talent. Auriemma knew what he had in Bueckers and stuck with his commitment.

Did Caitlin Clark want to play at UConn?

Clark has been open about her disappointment. In an ESPN profile on March 20, 2024, she revealed that Iowa wasn't her first choice. She wanted to go to UConn, but Auriemma never recruited her, despite speaking with her AAU coach. That shifted her focus to Iowa or Notre Dame.

Auriemma, however, says the ball was in Clark's court.

“My thing is you should have picked up the phone and called me and said, 'Coach, I want to come to Connecticut,'” he told the interviewer. “I don't think that was ever the case, to be honest with you. Everybody wants to be recruited by Connecticut. Like, who wouldn't? Who wouldn't be able to sit there and go, 'Hey, Mom, guess what? I just got offered a scholarship from UConn.'”

Did Auriemma's decision pay off?

Looking at the results, it's hard to argue with the outcome. Bueckers led UConn to a national championship despite multiple injury setbacks during her career. Clark, meanwhile, became a household name at Iowa, breaking NCAA scoring records and leading the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship game appearances.

Both players carved out legendary college careers, just on different paths. And for Iowa fans, the silver lining is clear: had Auriemma recruited Clark, the state might never have witnessed her historic run in a Hawkeyes uniform.

Photo: EssentiallySports