JuJu Watkins hit a landmark record this weekend, and in doing so she pushed Caitlin Clark down to third place.
Watkins bagged 29 points at the Big Ten tournament on Sunday, which pushed her two-season points total to 1,684 altogether — just past Clark's record of 1,662 points after her first two collegiate seasons. But if Watkins still has a way to go if she wants to best Kelsey Mitchell's 1762 record.
JuJu Watkins might struggle to break more of Caitlin Clark's records
It's unlikely anyone is surprised that Watkins edged out Clark in terms of points made at this point — the USC Trojans sophomore set the NCAA freshman scoring record last year with 920 points. She's also three games ahead of Clark at the same time during the latter's own sophomore season (Watkins has played 65 games to Clark's 62).
But whether or not Watkins can maintain this pace remains to be seen. Clark averaged 26.8 points over her freshman and sophomore years, and Watkins has so far averaged 25.9. Watkins' points per game have also dropped this year, from 27.1 during her freshman season to 24.6. And that might not be a big deal if Clark hadn't had a significant jump in terms of points scored during her final two years at Iowa.
Clark scored 1,055 points during her junior year and averaged 27.8 points per game, but her senior year is when she really took off — the Fever star netted 1,234 points that season (an average of 31.6 points per game). Clark also played through the entire Big Ten Conference and up to the championship game in the NCAA tournament both years.
Fans should slow down on hyping a Watkins vs. Clark rivalry
Though they are both incredible athletes who clearly know how to score baskets, fans should hold off on manufacturing some kind of Watkins vs. Clark rivalry. Though it is inevitable that any up-and-coming NCAA athlete will be compared to Clark now and in the future, creating problems where they don't exist won't help either athlete, and could even hinder Watkins as she continues to navigate her college years.
It is definitely fun to imagine how a developed Watkins might guard Clark — especially once the former has had a few seasons to adjust to the league, as Clark will be entering her third or fourth season by the time Watkins is drafted. Watkins is known for her perimeter defense and could be an asset for any time attempting to slow Clark down. It's highly doubtable that Clark will defend Watkins.
No matter what, it's definitely clear that both women are a big part of what's making women's basketball so fun right now — and they'll be a blast to keep watching.