How many games did it take for Paige Bueckers to reach 1000 pts? Comparing the UConn star with Caitlin Clark and Juju Watkins
Juju Watkins has reached the significant milestone of 1,000 career points in college basketball. In women’s NCAA basketball, athletes can play up to five years of eligibility, but not everyone secures enough court time to make the achievement.
Standouts like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins have proven themselves as prolific scorers. Here’s a breakdown of how quickly each athlete reached the 1,000-point mark.
Paige Bueckers – 55 games
Paige Bueckers, representing the UConn Huskies, reached 1,000 career points in her 55th game, tying UConn legend Maya Moore as the fastest in program history to achieve the feat.
Bueckers led the Huskies with 26 points in a victory over No. 24 North Carolina on Dec. 10, 2023, during her junior season. It was technically her fourth year with the team, as she had redshirted the previous season due to an ACL injury in her left knee.
Now in her senior year, Bueckers has earned numerous accolades, including AP Player of the Year, Wooden Award, Naismith Award and Nancy Lieberman Award in 2021.
She has been named a First Team AP All-American in 2021 and 2024. She has scored 1,763 points in 89 games and is on track to surpass 2,000 career points by the end of the 2024-225 season.
Caitlin Clark – 40 games
Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark became the fastest Big Ten player to reach 1,000 career points, achieving the milestone in her 40th game.
She reached the mark during her sophomore year, scoring 44 points against Evansville on Jan. 2, 2022. That broke Kelsey Mitchell’s previous Big Ten record by one game and surpassed Chennedy Carter's by four games.
Clark, a two-time AP Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Wooden Award and Naismith Award recipient, also earned three First Team AP All-American honors and three Nancy Lieberman Awards.
She finished her collegiate career as NCAA Division I basketball’s all-time leading scorer, amassing 3,951 points in 139 games, with an average of 28.4 points per game.
Juju Watkins – 38 games
USC standout Juju Watkins reached the 1,000-point milestone faster than any other Power 5 women’s player, accomplishing the feat in 38 games. On Nov. 15, against Santa Clara, Watkins needed 16 points to reach the mark and delivered 22, continuing her meteoric rise in women’s basketball.
As a sophomore, Juju Watkins has amassed 1,030 points in 39 games, averaging an impressive 26.4 points per game. Last season, she earned the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and was named a First Team AP All-American. With years of eligibility remaining, Watkins has the potential to rewrite the record books.