Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu Hyped as 'the Future of Basketball' by CJ McCollum

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum sees Iowa's Caitlin Clark and the New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu occupying pivotal spaces within the game long term.

On the newest episode of his podcast, McCollum reflected on the growth of women's basketball and the stars who are leading the way. Regarding Clark and Ionescu, he said at the 17:30 mark that "they're the future of basketball in terms of must-see TV."

Co-host Cassidy Hubbarth had asked McCollum about a reported plan under consideration to have Clark and Ionescu compete in a three-point shootout against the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson at All-Star Weekend in 2025.

Clark is both benefiting from the work women's players have accomplished before her and also helping to raise the profile of the game. She will be the most anticipated rookie the WNBA has seen for a long time.

When it comes to the next generation stars who will anchor the league, the 22-year-old will be in the mix.

Some might push back on putting Ionescu in the same category when she isn't even the biggest star on her own team. But her record-setting performance in the 2023 WNBA Three-Point Contest and a strong showing against Curry showed how electric she can be when her shooting touch is right.

In general, there isn't one singular star who needs to carry the women's game forward. One strength of college basketball and the WNBA is that both have multiple players who have become household names and will help keep women's basketball on an upward trajectory.