The night every W fan was waiting for finally came. But not in the fashion northern Texas fans were waiting for. The first of what’s sure to be many iconic showdowns between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark ended with a win for the Fever. Clark’s season-high 13 assists powered her team to a 19-point blowout over the Dallas Wings. This helped them move above .500 for the first time in two weeks. A huge win! But as you would imagine, not everyone is happy about it!

The Indiana Fever posted a franchise record of 64 points in the first half, courtesy of a 36-point second quarter, against Bueckers and co.’s 15 points in the same quarter. It completely changed the story of the game as both teams were separated by just one point after the first quarter. So, when halftime hit, ESPN’s analysts were quick to point out one glaring issue: Paige Bueckers was getting little to no help out there.

“Caitlin Clark’s got help, Paige Bueckers needs more of it,” said one of the ESPN analysts, and on the surface, it made sense. After all, the Fever had five players score in double figures. But the Wings weren’t far behind, with four players hitting double digits themselves. Naturally, that take didn’t sit well with a lot of fans. You can check the video down below!

Fans weren’t thrilled and didn’t hesitate to call out the network. But most of the backlash was centered around one key point—Paige did get help. So, let’s dive into some of the standout fan reactions!

Fans react to ESPN’s controversial halftime segment against Caitlin Clark

“Well, Clark got them help with 7 first-half assist. Wings are not a good team, and Paige doesn’t make her team better. She’s a great basketball player, but it hasn’t translated to making her team better,” one fan said. Now, Paige finished the game with 21 points on 9-15 shooting from the field while also getting 4 assists. She also etched her name in the history books by becoming the fastest player since Diana Taurasi in 2004 to reach 300 points, 50 assists, and 50 rebounds. If that’s not Rookie of the Year material, what is? But that hasn’t resulted in wins, and fans are not happy about it.

Lapping onto the issue, another fan joined in to say, “Clark makes the players around her better. That’s the difference. These hating ass women just hating to hate.” Now, Clark finished the game with a season-high 13 assists to go along with 14 points, despite a tough shooting night at 4-for-12 from the field. While her scoring wasn’t at its best, her playmaking was on full display. Giving out 13 assists means she directly created at least 26 points for her team. It goes without saying that she makes everyone around her better!

One fan even said, “Here come the excuses.” They feel that Caitlin deserves much more respect than the media gives her. “How much help does she need? Arike and Haley, and Paige are not only NCAA champions but MVPs, All-Americans, and Top 10 picks. McGowan and James were also the best players on their Final Four teams. Haley and Paige were #1 out of high school. They need better coaching,” said a fan, and they are not wrong. This is very much Arike Ogunbowale’s team. The 4-time All-Star has been with the Wings since entering the WNBA and shows no signs of leaving.

Surrounding her is a roster brimming with promising young talent, with the likes of JJ Quinerly, Aziaha James, and, of course, Paige Bueckers—but they lack experience. Then there’s the case of Haley Jones, whose collegiate career was nothing short of stellar, capped by a Final Four MVP performance at Stanford. Yet, translating that dominance to the WNBA has proven more challenging, highlighting the gap between college stardom and pro-level consistency.

The Wings have a good side on paper. But injuries have hit them hard. Last season’s Most Improved Player, DiJonai Carrington, is still sidelined with a rib injury. Maddy Siegrist is also out, working her way back from a knee issue. To make matters worse, Tyasha Harris has already been ruled out of the season.

So, while some fans claim that Paige has had plenty of help, the reality says otherwise. But the conversation didn’t end there!” So Caitlin Clark goes to the worst team LAST year and takes them to the playoffs. Paige goes to the worst team THIS year and needs help? Dallas was also in the playoffs 3/4 past seasons….” said a fan. Now, while Clark did help the Indiana Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016, let’s not pretend that the Fever had a bad team.

A core of Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark, when fully fit, can give any opponent a serious challenge. Plus, unlike Dallas, Indiana hasn’t faced the same level of injury trouble this season. That said, credit where it’s due–the Fever bounced back from a 1-9 start to earn their playoff spot, and that’s impressive.

As for the Wings, sitting at 6-16 likely means almost no playoffs this year. But that doesn’t mean Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers are failing with their teams. Far from it, actually! What we have witnessed is a battle between the future faces of this league. And if this game is anything to go by, the future of the W is in safe hands. So instead of pitting them against each other, let’s appreciate the greatness of both.