Paige Bueckers has been everything the Dallas Wings could ask for—and still, it hasn’t been enough. The rookie’s 44-point eruption was overshadowed by another Dallas loss, a reminder that, unlike Caitlin Clark, she hasn’t had the luxury of a stable supporting cast to elevate her case in the Rookie of the Year race. Bueckers’ averages of 19.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals put her among the WNBA’s elite, but with a roster riddled by injuries and inconsistency, her brilliance often stands alone. The real question now is, can individual dominance overcome the lack of that pivotal team connection Clark benefitted from?

The Wings have never been in the hunt for anything this season, even after the ambitious statements in free agency. “The goal for us is still to win,” GM Curt Miller had said. Eventually, they have had to pivot to more of their long-term goals, resulting in a focus on team building and chemistry while keeping the results on the side burner. That meant Bueckers never received a chance to show her big game performance, which plays against her in a lot of cases. 

The Athletic Reporter Sabreena Merchant on the The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show highlighted, “Like all due respect to the Wings, has Paige played in a game that mattered since the National Title game?” Paige Bueckers was a dream fulfilled at UConn, the star who delivered a long-awaited 12th championship. But in her rookie WNBA season, that magic has flipped—despite her brilliance, the Dallas Wings are sinking near the bottom, struggling to climb past the 13-seed. While the current Bueckers situation is the norm when it comes to rookies, the expectation was even higher.

The reason is the Caitlin Clark comparisons. As back-to-back No.1 picks with unprecedented hype while being point guards, the two were bound to be compared. As Sabreena pointed out, “I think I can’t call Paige’s rookie season the best by guard because Caitlin still has her beat on a lot of categories and leads her team to the playoffs, right? Admittedly, they lost in the first round, but like that’s a big difference, like to play in games that matter. The way she came out just absolutely on fire after the Olympic break, right? Like, was anybody playing better than Indiana during those few weeks?”

So far, Clark is statistically ahead on many metrics, as she averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds while having better underlying metrics, but she had another thing going for her. The Indiana Fever played like a title contender when the league resumed after the break. Caitlin Clark and Co. went on an 8-2 run in which the Fever star averaged around 24+ points and approx 9 points(After the break period). From 2-8 in the first 10 games, and a slippery slope to a regular-season exit, Clark willed them into their first playoff qualification in 8 years, something Paige couldn’t.

Now, for a moment, forget all the Clark comparisons; even fellow rookies like Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen had gotten better opportunities to stay in the playoff race than Bueckers. The fact that Paige Bueckers wasn’t able to carry forward much of her Huskies magic into her rookie year stands in sharp contrast to fellow first-years like Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. While Paige was left dragging an injury-riddled Dallas team out of the lottery’s basement, Sonia and Kiki found themselves in the middle of a live playoff race with Washington (even though the Mystics also lost steam, but are still in the game). That difference matters.

Playing under pressure, with standings on the line and every opponent treating you like a target, accelerates development in a way empty regular-season games cannot. For Bueckers, the year became a test of endurance and individual brilliance, while her peers were able to cut their teeth in meaningful basketball—a gap that could shape how this rookie class is remembered. But it is not like Bueckers wasn’t aware of this situation; in fact, rumors swirled around her motivation to restart in Dallas. Eventually, she signed up to build the team from the ground up.

And coming back to the Clark comparison, yes, there is an argument for Clark having the better team, but she did light up the court when the stakes were high. For Bueckers, the stage was never grand enough to prove her mettle. Currently, Clark has a leg up, not just according to the fans but also according to ESPN. 

ESPN’s dilemma in the Clark-Bueckers debate

ESPN is caught between the war of fanbases. On one day, they are anti-Indiana Fever and anti-Caitlin Clark. On the other hand, they are a villain in the eyes of the Bueckers fandom. Despite Paige Bueckers dropping a historic 44-point performance, ESPN’s “SportsCenter” gave her a fleeting highlight segment tucked away, not even making it the lead story. Meanwhile, “First Take” completely overlooked her game, choosing to skip any panel discussion on her record-breaking night altogether. 

Now, they have put their hat into the Bueckers-Clark debate, which is bound to bring more heat. In its top talent under 25 list, ESPN put Clark at No.1. Michael Voepel wrote, “She stretches the floor with her shooting range, pushes the pace, and picks defenses apart with her passing. The 23-year-old brings an unmatched excitement factor every time she’s on court, and her confidence spreads to the whole team.”

Bueckers was not far behind at No.2, who “has largely lived up to the hype,” according to Alexa Phillipou, but Clark’s overall impact likely bumped her to No.1. This is nowhere near the end of the debate, as the two have set the stage to battle at the highest stage for years to come. The UConn grad is not there yet, but her 2025 ROTY seems to be locked in despite the team being a bottom-feeder. Also, the CC-Bueckers comparison is here to stay. Till the time there’s no one else to draw attention.