What Caitlin Clark is doing for the WNBA now is no less than what Michael Jordan did for the NBA during the 1980s. At least in the commercial sense, Caitlin Clark is putting the WNBA on a global map. Caitlin Clark has opened many avenues for women’s basketball, from ticket prices to signature shoe deals and more. Caitlin’s impact has been so significant that ex-NBA players have started comparing her to new rookies, even in men’s basketball. Has Caitlin Clark become a new standard for top-tier rookies to follow?
In an X post, ex-NBA player Rashad McCants compared the Rocket’s top pick of the draft to Caitlin Clark. Reed Sheppard, the #3 pick of the 2024 NBA draft, is already turning heads across the league. His preseason and summer league performances have impressed renowned voices across the league. He is one of the favorites to win the Rookie of the Year even before the season has even officially begun.
Ex-NBA Player Compares Rockets Rookie Reed Sheppard to Caitlin Clark
Is This Comparison Overkill?
While Reed and Caitlin have both been playmaking sharpshooters, their college careers have been extremely different. Caitlin Clark was the face of Iowa Basketball as a starter. Reed was a sharpshooter who came off the bench behind Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham. All eyes were fixed on Caitlin but only a few on Reed. So why did Rashad McCants compare these two players?
I rocks wit Reed!!! Lil Caitlin lol https://t.co/d7TdDqA3jY
— Rashad McCants (@SoundbiteKing) October 9, 2024
Rashad was responding to a Yahoo Sports analyst Tom Haberstoh’s take calling Reed Sheppard the closest thing we have to a new era Stephen Curry now. However, in her first season itself, Caitlin Clark has stirred a debate by showing the world how far she can consistently shoot from. Until last season Sabrina Ionescu was compared to Stephen Curry, and then Caitlin proved she belonged in that discussion.
Her average three-point shot distance in her rookie season (28ft) already exceeds the best seasons of Trae Young, Damian Lillard, and Stephen Curry. Therefore, Rashad may be supporting Reed Sheppard by calling him ‘Lil Caitlin’. However, his underlying point seems to be that Caitlin Clark is already the closest thing we have seen to Stephen Curry. Hence, we should compare Reed’s rookie season to Caitlin’s instead of jumping the gun and comparing him to Steph.
At the onset of his rookie season, Reed Sheppard has a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders. The sharpshooter from Kentucky could become the franchise’s long-term solution in the PG role. Reed played in 33 games for the UK, however he only got five starts. He shot 83.1% from the free-throw line, 52.1% from the 3-point range (the highest percentage across the country), and 53.6% from the field. He became the only player in the nation with 75 3-pointers, 80 steals, and 145 assists.
What Does This Mean?
Likely, neither Caitlin nor Reed will ever break Stephen Curry’s records. However, setting the expectations for their impacts on their team certainly shows that a lot of hopes are riding on the shoulders of Caitlin and Reed. Can Reed Sheppard prove himself to be the best player in this draft class? Having clinched Rookie of the Year, will Caitlin Clark soon become the best player in the WNBA? A very promising future awaits both Reed Sheppard and Caitlin Clark.
