Caitlin Clark is ‘lucky this UConn team isn’t healthy,’ says Molly Qerim ahead of Final Four showdown, as the ESPN host claims she doesn’t ‘know if we’d be talking about’ the Iowa star if Paige Bueckers didn’t miss two seasons

ESPN’s Molly Qerim thinks Caitlin Clark is lucky the UConn Huskies are dealing with injuries ahead of Friday’s Final Four game against Iowa.

After a 41-point effort from Clark led the Hawkeyes past Angel Reese and LSU on Monday, the sharpshooter will face Paige Bueckers and the Huskies for a spot in the national championship game.

On Thursday, the First Take host and proud UConn alum confidently expressed her thoughts at the ESPN desk with Stephen A. Smith and Monica McNutt.

“All I have to say is, you’re lucky this UConn team isn’t healthy, and that’s a true statement,” Qerim said.

‘If Paige Bueckers hadn’t missed basically two seasons, I don’t know if we’d be talking about Caitlin Clark like we are now. Those are the facts, Stephen A.,’ she continued.

Despite having star Paige Bueckers, UConn is missing Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin

Clark scored 41 points against LSU to advance to Final Four

Bueckers had a great freshman season in 2020-21, earning player of the year honors. Unfortunately, he suffered back-to-back knee injuries and underwent two surgeries, which limited his play the past two years.

This season, Bueckers returned to health as UConn looks to win championships again. However, her teammates Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin suffered season-ending injuries.

However, UConn punched a ticket to the Final Four by beating JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans, 80-73. Bueckers played all 40 minutes and recorded a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds.

On the other hand, Clark’s star shined brightest in his final year with the Hawkeyes.

Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Clark averaged 31.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game as a senior and will likely be the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 overall pick in April’s WNBA Draft.

Another highlight of his season was when Clark broke Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record on March 3. In a game against Ohio State, Clark surpassed Pistol Pete’s career-high 3,667 points by reaching 3,685.

Iowa and UConn will kick off on Friday at 9:30 pm ET.