Coby White felt he knew what to expect from Caitlin Clark in his first chance to watch her play in person. But the Bulls point guard was still impressed by the Iowa star last week when he attended the Hawkeyes’ matchup against Michigan.
White went to Iowa City on the first night of the NBA All-Star break to support his girlfriend’s sister, Cameron Williams, who plays for Michigan. It was a rare chance to witness a piece of history.
“It was dope,” White said. “Obviously I watched her on TV, but it’s a lot different seeing her in person. She’s crazy good. She’s talented, super skilled. For her to hit the logo 3 to break the record, that was a dope moment.”
Clark only needed to score eight points against Michigan to break Kelsey Plum’s record of 3,527 career points. She devoured the challenge, sinking the opening three baskets of the game for Iowa — and firing off a shot from the logo to officially break the record.
After playing against the best guards in the NBA, White had an immediate player comparison for Clark upon watching her in person: Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.
“They both take control of the game so well and get to their spots,” White said. “She gets to any spot she wants to. She manipulates pick-and-rolls. She knows how to change her pace. She’s not really fast but she’s so deceptive with the ball that she can get past any defender.”
Coby White started the Ali-Star weekend by watching Caitlin Clark break the NCAAW scoring record in Iowa City.
“Obviously I watched her on TV, but it’s a lot different in person.”
Asked which of his NBA opponents remind him of Clark, Coby had an immediate answer: Luka Dončić. pic.twitter.com/cSRx1bjebe
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) February 20, 2024
Clark’s record-breaking performance against Michigan wasn’t the only women’s hoops event that White caught over the break. He also tuned in to watch Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu square off in a 3-point contest Saturday, the first event to feature WNBA and NBA players head-to-head during NBA All-Star weekend.
Curry won the contest with a score of 29 points, but Ionescu finished close behind with 26 points — matching the total tallied by Damian Lillard to win the NBA’s 3-point contest this year.
“It was dope,” White said. “I obviously think they should keep it going next year and try to build off that. (Ionescu’s) super talented. She can shoot the piss out of the ball. For her to step up in that moment against the best shooter ever and to go first and set the tone in that type of way, it was inspiring.”