Caitlin Clark Was Compared to Basketball Legend Maya Moore, Sparking a Heated Debate Online

If there's one thing folks love about Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark — well, you know, aside from her awe-inspiring skills on the basketball court and her history-making plays — it's that she's known to be cool to her fans. You can often catch her signing autographs for the adoring crowds at her games, which are often made up of young girls who idolize the former Iowa Hawkeyes star.

Caitlin's former Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder even compared Caitlin to one of the greatest basketball players in history, aka Maya Moore, who just so happens to be one of Caitlin's idols — and who also happens to be incredibly kind to her fans.

There were definitely some fans who didn't think this was a fair comparison to make, considering Maya's legendary career, but other folks say Lisa was simply comparing the way the two players treat their fans.

In a June 2024 interview, Lisa was asked what Caitlin was like "off the court," especially considering so many young kids flock to her games while donning her jersey — to the point that it's clear Caitlin is making a difference in their lives.

"She is definitely making a difference in kids' lives," Lisa agreed, adding: "For her, Maya Moore was a huge role model growing up, so now she's the Maya Moore of this generation. And she understands that; she understands how important that was to her, to get that autograph after the game, to get that hug, to take that picture with."

"And so I just think that off the court, she's so genuine, she's so giving of her time, and she's really an honest and just — the passion and the joy that she plays with is so special," Lisa continued.

It's well-known how much Caitlin idolizes Maya. As the story goes, when Caitlin was 12, she and her dad drove from their home in De Moines, Iowa, all the way to Minneapolis to see Maya dominating with the Lynx. After the game, when fans were hanging around on the court, Caitlin ran to give Maya a hug. It ended up being 10 seconds that meant everything to the future player.

"Ten seconds can go a long way in somebody’s life," a smiling Caitlin reflected to IndyStar in 2024. "That’s a good lesson whether you play sports or don’t play sports — how you treat somebody matters."

"I just try to take as much time as I can for those young girls because Maya was so nice to me when I ran up to her, and that’s something that’s stuck with me all the way until I’m 22 years old," Caitlin added.

As previously mentioned, not everyone was happy with Lisa's comparison of Caitlin to Maya.

"She is nowhere close to Maya, and she has not won a championship at any level ever. How are they even comparing her to any of the greats," tweeted one fan.

"No one has said she's better than Maya Moore," another fan countered.