Luka Dončić has always had a knack for making the game bend to his rhythm. Whether it’s splitting a double team with a hesitation dribble or luring a defender just far enough out of position to drop a no-look dime, the Lakers superstar doesn’t just play basketball-he orchestrates it. And now, one of the brightest stars in the WNBA is taking notes.
Caitlin Clark, the electric young guard already making waves as the face of the W, recently named Dončić as the NBA player she’s studying most closely. And it’s not hard to see why. Clark, a prolific scorer and elite playmaker in her own right, sees in Dončić a blueprint-not just for putting up numbers, but for controlling the flow of the game.
“I think Luka. Luka is amazing and incredible,” Clark said when asked who she models parts of her game after.
“I think the way he cannot only score the ball, but also the way he passes. I think the thing about him is he’s not the fastest or the most athletic, but he can get the defender to move where he wants him to go.
He takes up that space, and he does a really good job of keeping the defender behind him or keeping him to the side. I think that is something I can certainly learn from.”
That’s the beauty of Dončić’s game-it’s not built on raw speed or vertical explosion. It’s built on timing, angles, and an uncanny ability to read and manipulate defenders like a chess master.
He’s not just averaging a 30-point triple-double like it’s routine; he’s doing it while making the game look deceptively simple. That’s the part Clark keyed in on.
And she’s right-what Luka does may look smooth, but it’s anything but easy.
Dončić currently leads the league in scoring for the second time in three seasons, but reducing his game to just buckets would be missing the point. At 6’8”, with a handle tighter than it should be for someone his size and a vision that rivals the best point guards in the league, Luka is the engine behind everything the Lakers do offensively. He sets the tempo, breaks down defenses, and creates opportunities not just for himself, but for everyone around him.
Of course, playing alongside Dončić can be an adjustment for role players. When he’s cooking, the ball might not leave his hands for several possessions at a time.
But when he’s at his best-as a pick-and-roll savant and floor general-he turns an offense into a finely tuned machine. That’s the part of his game Clark wants to incorporate: not just scoring or assisting, but managing the flow, dictating the terms, and making everyone on the floor better.
Clark’s own game mirrors that philosophy. She’s already breaking assist records while putting up elite scoring numbers, and she’s doing it with a flair that feels familiar.
The step-backs, the deep threes, the court vision-it’s all there. Now she’s looking to sharpen the edges, and Luka’s playbook is a pretty good place to start.
Lakers fans have seen the shift firsthand. The moment Dončić arrived in L.A., the franchise pivoted.
This is a team that still has LeBron James on the roster, but make no mistake-this is Luka’s team now. The offense runs through him, and the identity of the squad has reshaped itself around his unique brilliance.
So when Clark says she’s studying Dončić, it’s not just a compliment-it’s a signal. She’s chasing that same level of control, that same ability to dictate outcomes. And if her trajectory continues, we could be looking at two of the most creative offensive minds in basketball-one lighting up the NBA, the other redefining the WNBA.
The future of basketball is in good hands. And if Luka Dončić and Caitlin Clark are any indication, it’s going to be a masterclass in creativity, control, and pure basketball IQ.