Here’s the theme for the 2025 W season you guys have been loving: “Who will dominate the decade?” With two consecutive explosive  #1 picks going toe-to-toe, it feels like Breanna Stewart (2016) vs. A’ja Wilson (2018) all over again. There’s maybe even shades of Sabrina Ionescu (2020) vs. Rhyne Howard (2022). However, Paige Bueckers, who often falls on the “less favored” side of these debates (against Caitlin Clark) sticks to her mantra: “Comparison is the thief of joy,” she believes. Which is why. “I’m just focused on myself, how I can better myself, how we can better the team.” But three-time MVP A’ja Wilson may have just (unintentionally) tossed Paige a lifeline in this debate. What she said might flip Paige’s feelings about comparisons entirely.

But before we get to what A’ja Wilson had to say about Paige, let’s set the record straight. Bueckers is no tagalong in this race. She just etched her name in WNBA history as the first rookie ever to notch 350+ points and 100+ assists in her first 20 games. Not even Caitlin Clark has done that. Of course, Clark still wears the crown. But all the comparisons will finally settle on the court on August 12. It’s when Caitlin Clark is expected to return from her right groin injury. Upon her return, she will face Paige Bueckers and the Wings for their first pro matchup. And yet, just as things were about to settle, A’ja Wilson went and stirred the pot.

Pregame vs the Wings, an interviewer asked the Aces’ power center, “What have you seen from a young player that has impressed you with her (Paige Bueckers) development?” To this, A’ja Wilson didn’t hold back and opened with “I think the biggest thing that has impressed me with Paige is she plays at her own rhythm and her own beat and she allows her teammates to come along and play alongside her in that space.” Sure that’s true, but here’s where things get interesting, “it’s just this pace and this rhythm that she plays with. I haven’t really seen it in a rookie in a minute,” said Wilson. Read between the lines, and “not even in Caitlin Clark,” it implies.

A’ja Wilson might have a valid point there. Not because one is “better,” but simply because the two barely resemble each other’s games outside their explosiveness and star NCAA résumés. Caitlin Clark has been thriving as a volume scorer with limitless shooting range. She’s great at stretching defenses out to the logo, and that requires one to have an amped up pace and changing rhythm. Whereas Paige Bueckers is a role model for all-around efficiency. She is good at blending elite decision-making, sharp defense, and a more balanced scoring approach. They simply orbit different basketball philosophies.

But since when has logic ever stopped the audience from creating storylines? As Paige herself admitted, “Those comparisons are just media-driven, narrative-driven. And they’re good for the game in terms of getting people to talk about it and it being a talking point.” Look at the numbers: through their first nine rookie games, their scoring averages were virtually identical (17.7 for Clark to 17.6 for Bueckers). Moreover, Clark had a slight edge in assists (6.6 to 5.7), while Paige Bueckers made her mark on defense by posting more steals (2.1 to 1.2). Those stats are proof that both players dominate, just differently. As Bueckers put it, “Caitlin’s a phenomenal player. We’re also completely different players.” However, one thing has surely been common for both Bueckers and Clark lately: time spent on the sideline.

Paige Bueckers Benched to Play the Long Game

For Paige Bueckers, her most recent absence came during the Wings’ 106–80 blowout loss to the Las Vegas Aces. It was a lost game she didn’t even dress for. The cause? Not injury, but caution. Dallas head coach Chris Koclanes explained pregame that the team decided to sit their rookie star. It came after what he described as “an insane stretch” in their schedule.

Truly, the Wings played five games in eight days, including back-to-back matchups against the league’s last two title winners. This isn’t new for Paige Bueckers. Earlier this season, she sat out the June 28 game against the Mystics after her right knee flared up. She later revealed that she deals with patellar tendonitis. It is a chronic issue that requires constant monitoring to prevent setbacks.

Even with Dallas struggling at 7–18, the Wings are thinking long-term. They are responsibly putting Paige Bueckers’ health first. All of it while she continues to pace all rookies with 18.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Assuming there will be no setbacks, she’s slated to return Monday when the Wings will face the Liberty. Moreover, just in time for their highly anticipated clash with Caitlin Clark.