“Caitlin Clark playing like Steph Curry” – Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff praise Iowa star’s ‘unreal’ record-breaking performance in win over LSU

Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff have both praised the outstanding performance of Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark in the highly anticipated Elite Eight matchup against the LSU Tigers.

Clark guided Iowa to a remarkable 94-87 win against Angel Reese’s LSU, propelling them to the Final Four of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. This victory allowed the Hawkeyes to redeem themselves from their defeat against the Tigers in last year’s championship game.

In the much-anticipated game, Caitlin Clark delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 41 points, dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing seven rebounds. In addition, the 22-year-old created history by breaking the record for the most career 3-pointers and assists in the history of NCAA women’s tournament.

Coco Gauff, who had eagerly made time for the game, posted about Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking accomplishment and commended her “incredible”performance.

“Unreal game sheesshh @caitlinclark22,”Gauff posted on her Instagram story.

Ben Shelton also praised Clark, equating her skill with that of Steph Curry.

“Caitlin playing like curry rn,”Shelton posted.

In February, Gauff and Shelton expressed their admiration for Caitlin Clark, acknowledging her impressive achievement of becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball.

The Impact of Tennis on Coco Gauff’s Childhood

Coco Gauff revealed her diverse sporting interests beyond tennis during the Australian Open in January, noting that she had also pursued track and basketball in the past.

“I did do track and basketball. I really love track. I think I would have been a good 400 runner.

“I’ve actually never really timed myself like just a straight, like, sprint. The only times I’m on the track is for cardio, and we’re doing a lot of them,”Gauff said in a press conference in Melbourne.

At 20 years old, she revealed that her parents didn’t want her to solely focus on tennis from a young age. They had urged her to participate in other sports as well. She remembered having to skip her All-Star game in order to compete at the 2017 US Open for girls’ singles, where she was defeated by Amanda Anisimova in the final.

“I think it just keeps it fun. My parents always never wanted me to specify in a sport, which is why when I was 13, I knew that I was going to play tennis, but they still put me in basketball and track,”Gauff said.

“I ended up missing my All-Star game because I had to play the junior US Open. I made the finals of that tournament,”she added.

Next, Coco Gauff will kick off her claycourt season at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she will be competing in the WTA 500 event starting on April 15.