NCAA
NCAA

Paige Bueckers struggles to 'emulate' Caitlin Clark NCAA legacy

Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes will retire her iconic 22 jersey for a hefty price

UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) is guarded by Georgetown guard Victoria...
UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) is guarded by Georgetown guard Victoria RiveraLAPRESSE

Caitlin Clark will have her Iowa Hawkeyes jersey retired less than a year after she smashed the NCAA points record for women and men, and tickets are so expensive they command a fee that not even the UConn Huskies' Paige Bueckers can match.

Bueckers has been tipped to inherit the power vacuum left by the Indiana Fever's icon after she graduated to the WNBA, eventually becoming the Rookie of the Year and later Time's Athlete of the Year.

However, even she can't compete with the legacy of the 22-year-old Clark after tickets begin retailing at $446 to watch her number 22 jersey retired on February 2, 2025 at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Some are even reselling at an insane $2,243.

"All 15,000 season tickets have sold out for the second consecutive season," Chad Withrow said to HotMic with Hutton & Withrow of Clark's Hawkeyes legacy. "Sold out. That means you got to increase that price."

Meanwhile, Bueckers is struggling to match the same hype despite putting up 20.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists per game in her senior year in the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball league.

The Huskies' game against the Hawkeyes, on January 22, has tickets currently retailing at $43, which is over 100 times cheaper than what Iowa are asking for when they take on the USC Trojans at Clark's ceremony.

Who do the UConn Huskies play next?

The UConn Huskies are next in action against the USC Trojans, who they will welcome to the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday, December 21 with tip-off expected from 20:00 ET/17:00 PT.

The Huskies are currently 10-1 and lead the Big East, whilst the Trojans are 10-1 and leading the Big 10. Look to Bueckers to lead the way for the hosts, whilst USC are spurred on by JuJu Watkins.

Watkins has 24.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Tickets can be bought from $26.

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