You have to give the Indiana Fever credit for hanging in there this WNBA season. They have been beset by one catastrophic injury after another, yet still they would be the 6-seed if the playoffs began today. Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and most recently Sophie Cunningham have all suffered season-ending injuries. In the meantime, everyone has been patiently waiting for Caitlin Clark to return.
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Clark has been out with a groin strain, her second of the season. Fans haven’t seen her on the court since before the All-Star Game. And two days ago, a new report came out that said that she was also dealing with a bone bruise in her ankle.
It’s been one of those seasons for the second-year superstar. Clark has suffered one unlucky break after another. It’s tough to be the face of the league when you’re not able to play, but Clark is still undeniably the WNBA’s most popular and important player. In her absence, though, a challenger to the throne has appeared.
It’s Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers, who, like Clark, was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Wings have struggled as a team, but Bueckers has been a bright light in the darkness.
A few nights ago, she scored 44 points to set the WNBA rookie record, shooting an unreal 81% from the floor to do it. For reference, Clark’s highest rookie points total was 35.
Through much of her career, even in college, Clark has had a clear antagonist in Angel Reese. The two have clashed multiple times, in multiple ways, and their battles have often helped the WNBA stay at the forefront of the sports conversation. It seems a new rivalry is set to roll.
On Thursday’s episode of The Dan Patrick Show, the former SportsCenter anchor made the case that it’s not Clark vs. Reese that will be the league’s defining rivalry, it’s Clark vs. Bueckers.
“Keep in mind, Paige Bueckers was Caitlin Clark before Caitlin Clark,” Patrick said. “She was the Player of the Year as a freshman. Then she went through a couple of knee surgeries, and really, perseverance got her to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.”
Patrick is absolutely right that Bueckers was once the heir apparent to the women’s game. She was the top-ranked recruit coming out of high school, and when she got to UConn, Bueckers showed why. She became the first freshman to ever win National Player of the Year.
Bueckers’ college career was nearly derailed by injuries after her historic freshman year. She underwent ankle surgery in April of 2021, then tore her meniscus in December. In August the following year, she tore her ACL, costing her the entire season.
Essentially, she lost a year and a half of college ball, but returned and ended up leading UConn to a national title this past spring. If she had never gotten hurt, she almost certainly would have turned pro the same year as Clark.
Even though her pro career got delayed while Clark became the biggest name in women’s basketball, now the tables have turned. Bueckers is killing it in the WNBA while Clark is stuck on the sidelines.
“This was supposed to be the rivalry. This was supposed to be Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers, and hopefully it will be. I think we’re trying to have other rivalries, but that’s not the rivalry. Have those two against each other, then maybe you have something,” added Patrick.
Clark and Bueckers have met three times. The first two were in the NCAA Tournament, with Bueckers’ Huskies prevailing in the 2021 Sweet 16 and Clark’s Hawkeyes winning a Final Four matchup in 2024. Their lone WNBA meeting occurred in July, with the Fever winning 102-83 behind Clark’s 14 points, 13 assists, and 5 steals. Bueckers pitched in 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the losing effort.
Clark and Bueckers have taken turns dominating when the other one is hurt. They’ve each helped the women’s game reach new heights, and if they can both get healthy and have some titanic battles in the pros, they could take the women’s game to places that nobody thought possible.
The Fever are still hopeful that Clark will be healthy before the playoffs arrive. Bueckers has put on a show, but the Wings aren’t going anywhere yet. This won’t be the year that the rivalry really takes off, but beginning next season, fans better have their popcorn ready.
