Need more reasons to appreciate Caitlin Clark? Former NBA player Rashad Phillips has something crucial to contribute to the debate. With all the love pouring in from around the world, Phillips believes that Clark is deserving of every bit of praise and hype she’s received. He even went on to compare her to NBA star Trae Young.

Phillips pointed out how the two share a similar skill set. However, what he emphasized was how both Young and Clark faced tough circumstances in their rookie years, being drafted to struggling teams, and managed to thrive while working hard to uplift their respective teams.   

“Caitlin Clark is a female version of Trae Young. She’s celebrated and highlighted as she should. Trae is under appreciated in his sport. Such a weird dynamic to me. Both drafted to struggling franchises and lifted them up with their style of play. Both deserve your love. #Yoda” Phillips wrote on X. 

Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks, Young was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, while the former Iowa star was picked up by the Indiana Fever who finished 10th the previous season. Young was part of the Hawks’ rebuilding plan and despite his efforts to elevate the team, fans remain doubtful. 

On the other hand, Fever struggled at the beginning of the season with a 1-8 record, but with 5 wins from their last 6, the team has been phenomenal now. With a 96-71 victory over the Chicago Sky, the Fever are now battling to hang on to a spot in the playoffs. It holds an impressive record this year for the first time since 2016 and currently sits at No. 6 in the league standings. 

Even Young himself is a huge fan of the WNBA star. 

Trae Young challenges Caitlin Clark to a friendly 3-point contest

The two are much more similar, as Phillips shared. Both previously led in assists, effectively contributing to their teams.

Even during their college years, both had remarkable records in assists as well as scoring. Young was the first player to lead in both points and assists in the NCAA for the University of Oklahoma during the 2017-2018 season. Clark on the other hand, leads the league in assists, averaging 8.3 and only recently broke the record for most assists in a single game — 19. 

The point guard has been appreciative of Clark since her days in Iowa. He commended her 41-point game against the LSU Tigers and called her ‘unguardable’. But that isn’t all of course. During an interview with Bleacher Report, the NBA star suggested that he would like to challenge the Fever rookie to a 3-point contest. The Atlanta Hawks star jokingly said, “I’d have to definitely practice a lot more than I have for these previous three-point competitions.” 

We’ve seen Stephen Curry’s 3-point contest against Sabrina Ionescu, and now, does this suggest another exciting duo go at it in the future?

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.