Orlando Magic

Rising NBA All-Star reacts to Caitlin Clark having more games on ESPN than him

Published by
Peter Dewey

Orlando Magic All-Star forward Paolo Banchero shouted out Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark after finding out that she had more games on ESPN than him.

Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is one of the most intriguing players to enter the WNBA in recent seasons. After a dominant career at the University of Iowa, Clark is looking to take the WNBA by storm.

Through four games, the rookie guard is averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

During her college career, Clark became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s basketball. She averaged 28.4 points per game across four seasons, including 31.6 points per game during her senior campaign with the Hawkeyes.

Banchero, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has immediately become a star player for Orlando, leading it to the playoffs during the 2023-24 season.

While the Magic did lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round, Banchero still had a terrific season, averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from 3-point range.

Banchero shined in Game 7 against Cleveland, putting up 38 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Magic to a victory.

Even though he hasn’t gotten a ton of love in the national spotlight when it comes to his games, Banchero clearly is humble and waiting for his time to show the world his talent.

He made his first All-Star team in the 2023-24 season, following up an impressive rookie campaign where he earned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award.

Both Banchero and Clark are rising stars in the sport of basketball, and fans hopefully will get to see both of their careers blossom over the next few years.

Clark and the Fever have started off slow this season, going 0-4 in their first four games, but they have a chance to pick up their first win on Wednesday night against the Seattle Storm.

That game is scheduled to tip off at 10 p.m. EST from Seattle.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

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