Candace Parker Explains Why Caitlin Clark Isn't the Next Steph Curry

WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s limitless range has often invited comparisons to NBA all-time 3-point leader Steph Curry. Both players are 3-point marvels with crafty handles. They are the gold standard for a scoring guard.

In fact, in 2024, NBA star Luka Doncic called Clark “women’s Steph Curry” before she even debuted in the WNBA. There are differing views on the subject, too.

NBA legend Reggie Miller compared Clark to Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard during her NBC analyst debut on Sunday, which drew criticism from fellow NBA legend Paul Pierce.

Meanwhile, former San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green defended the comparison by arguing that Clark doesn’t get the same defensive attention as Curry.

On the other hand, WNBA legend Candace Parker also believes Clark-Curry comparisons aren’t wholly accurate.

Candace Parker Explains Why Clark is Different from Curry

On her “Post Moves” pod with Aliyah Boston, Parker highlighted the difference in play style between Curry and Clark. She admitted both players have amazing range.

At the same time, she pointed out that Clark dominates the ball as a point guard, whereas Curry more often generates shots away from the ball.

She argued that Washington Wizards guard Trae Young was also compared to Curry when he entered the league; however, like Clark, he also needs the ball in his hands.

“Steph Curry’s off the ball a lot, and Caitlin’s not. So I think it’s kind of like a hard comparison because just like when they were making that Trae Young comparison of, like, he’s like Steph Curry, and I’m like, no, he’s not, because he has the ball in his hands all the time,” said Parker.

During the 2025-26 NBA season, Curry has made 2.1 of 5.7 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts (36% FG). Meanwhile, overall, the Golden State Warriors guard has converted 4.5 out of 11.5 attempts from deep (39.1%).

His off-the-ball maneuvers play a crucial role in generating catch-and-shoot looks from deep, and half of his attempts belong in this category.

On the other hand, Clark’s preferred shot is the pull-up jump shot, but she is a terrific catch-and-shoot player too.

During her rookie year in 2024, a significant chunk of her shots were of the catch-and-shoot variety. At one point, she was almost shooting as many catch-and-shoot jumpers per game as Curry. Thus, there is some similarity in their off-the-ball game as well.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Candace Parker Explains Why Caitlin Clark Isn’t the Next Steph Curry

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