Earlier this week, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard was the subject of many debates even though he was most probably minding his own business. After all, Hall of Famer Reggie Miller compared Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark to Pritchard, with many finding that comparison to be rather preposterous in Clark's favor.
Clark's reaction to being compared to the Celtics guard went viral; her smile disappeared immediately after Miller mentioned Pritchard's name. But it looks as though the Fever star is changing her mind. After all, Pritchard does have plenty of similarities with Clark in the way they play — with Clark giving the Celtics guard her stamp of approval on one such play during Boston's 110-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) February 4, 2026
Pritchard has excellent ballhandling, and he has an underrated ability to get to his spots on the hardwood. He can chisel his way to the paint, and pull up for comfortable short midrange shots.
Clark, on the other hand, is more of a bomber from beyond the arc, and she's a better playmaker (relative to their respective oppositions) than the Celtics guard. But every now and then, their games look alike, and perhaps Miller was truly on to something when he made that comparison.
Being compared to Celtics' Payton Pritchard is nothing to scoff at
While Pritchard will never be as big of a star in the NBA as Clark is in the WNBA, being compared to the Celtics guard is nothing to be ashamed of.
Pritchard has excellent range from beyond the arc much like Clark does, and they both work hard on the defensive end. This comparison is not perfect, however, and nothing really is when it comes to that sort of thing.
At the end of the day, Pritchard is beloved among Celtics fans, and he's going to be a key piece for them moving forward.
