"She shoots it better than me" - Luka Doncic hails Caitlin Clark, claims she's more Steph Curry-esque than him

Count Luka Doncic among the many Caitlin Clark fans. The Dallas Mavericks star said he tuned in for part of Caitlin Clark’s unreal performance in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, April 1. Doncic gave Clark her flowers after her 41-point performance against LSU in the Elite Eight.

Doncic even said Clark may be better than him at some things on the basketball court, which is saying a lot because Doncic is a leading MVP candidate this season.

“Amazing. What did she have? Forty-one? She was shooting that ball on fire. I watched some of it,” Doncic said. “She shoots it better than me. That’s for sure.”

The reporters talking with Doncic about Clark asked the Mavs star whether he saw any of his game in her own. Doncic disagreed.

“She is more Steph Curry than me,” Doncic said.

It is high praise, of course, for Clark as Curry is the best shooter of all time. Luka Doncic is no slouch either as he is hitting 38.0% of his 3-pointers. He has Clark and Curry's kind of range too as he frequently hits deep 3-pointers with his normal jump shot form.

Clark is also known for her range and logo threes. She showed off her stepback and deep shooting skills on Monday night as she led Iowa to a win against LSU in the NCAA Tournament, exacting revenge for her team's national championship loss to LSU last season.

Luka Doncic officially eligible for MVP honors

Luka Doncic has met the criteria to be eligible for the end of season awards. Doncic played in his 65th game with the Mavericks win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Players must play 65 games to be eligible for MVP or All-NBA honors. Now Doncic is in the running for MVP and will be a likely first team All-NBA selection.

He has made four consecutive All-NBA teams already from 2020-23. He should make it five in a row this season now that he has met the playing time threshold.

Doncic is the second favorite to win MVP at some shops. He is listed around 5/1 and is behind Nikola Jokic, who is the favorite to win his third MVP. It would be Doncic’s first MVP award if he can pull off the upset.

The All NBA honors also come with financial incentives. If Doncic makes All NBA first team or wins MVP, he will be eligible for a new max contract extension, and not just any extension. Doncic will be eligible for a five-year, $346 million supermax extension. That would be the hightest total contract value in NBA history.

The Mavericks are on fire. They have won nine of their last 10. Their recent surge could help Luka Doncic’s MVP chances. He has helped the Mavericks move into sixth place in the West. They now appear destined for the top six and playoff safety, avoiding the Play-In Tournament this season.