At this point, we’re living in two parallel internet universes. One is where Caitlin Clark walks on hardwood water and another where Paige Bueckers already owns the throne. Things get interesting every time these worlds collide and social media erupts like it’s Game 7. That’s exactly what went down after last night’s matchup. Clark was sidelined with a muscle strain, Paige took a hit mid-game and got benched, and yet somehow, the fan bases kept the rivalry in full sprint.

The game itself was filled with pure fireworks. On the Fever’s end, Kelsey Mitchell lit it up with 23 points, while Aari McDonald filled in for Clark like she had been waiting her whole life for it. She chipped in with 15 points and six dimes. Down low, Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston dominated the paint, 44-30. Howard racked up an 11-16-5 line, while Boston went full stat-sheet sorceress with 12 points, 11 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Over on the Dallas side, rookie All-Star Paige Bueckers was basically a one-woman show. She dropped 22 on 7-of-14 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 from the line. Problem? She was literally the only Wing in double figures, and the team shot an icy 2-of-15 from deep.

But the Caitlin Clark fans didn’t care for this and real heat came after the final buzzer. Social media lit up faster than a Kelsey Mitchell first-quarter run. It was exactly the kind of fan-fueled war that brought Stephanie White’s words back to life: “In my day, it was Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie. Nowadays, it’s Caitlin and Paige.” And “just like LeBron vs. Steph,” sometimes, it’s not even about who played. It’s about whose fandom throws the nastier jab online. Here’s proof for you to decide that…

Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark: Fans Edition

It all started with a tweet. One guy, one GIF, and one spicy line: “Paige can’t even beat the CC-less Fever?” accompanied by a classic condescending laugh GIF of J. Jonah Jameson. And just like that, the Paige Bueckers defenders came flying in like they were on the payroll. To be fair, the tweet didn’t make much sense. Because Paige Bueckers cooked last night with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, a perfect 8-of-8 from the line, plus 4 rebounds and 4 assists. She was the second-highest scorer on the court behind only Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, who dropped 23.

The real issue was that not a single other Dallas player hit double figures. The next highest were Aziaha James and Myisha Hines-Allen with just 9 apiece. So the PB squad came armed with facts:

“Paige is one person lol. It’s not Paige vs. the Fever.”
“It’s a team sport, bruv. One player isn’t supposed to win the whole game.”
“Is Paige alone supposed to beat the whole team? Thought this was a team sport.”

Mic drop, right there. Well, plot twist…the convo took a hard left. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about Paige. It turned into a Caitlin Clark referendum.

“Girl, Fever can go to the Finals without CC. She ain’t that relevant.”
“Fever are a better team without CC.”
“Ball movement is way smoother with Aari at the 1.”

And the stats weren’t lying either and maybe the Fever do play smoother without Clark. Caitlin Clark leads the entire league in turnovers. She already holds the WNBA record for most TOs by a rookie (223), and this season she’s averaging 5.1 per game. That’s almost 40% of Indiana’s 12.9 team turnovers. The next closest Fever player is Natasha Howard at just 2.0. Moreover, hear it from Sophie Cunningham herself: “I don’t think that it (Clark’s absence) affects us anymore,” she said. “We put out a statement today that she’s day-to-day, and so we know that as a team. And so that’s helpful to mentally prepare. I really do think that if we have Caitlin, great. We know how to play with her. If we don’t have Caitlin, great. We know how to play without her.” 

Even Lexie Hull has been enjoying her best year yet. She’s averaging 26.5 mpg while adding 7.3 ppg and 4.4 reb. Unsurprisingly, most of those minutes and stats come with Caitlin Clark’s absence. Still, the Clark hive pulled up:

“Funny how it’s a team sport now when it’s not CC playing.”
“Clark probably won’t lose another game to Angel Reese or Paige Bueckers for years.”

And they may have a point. Every time Clark’s Fever have faced the Sky or Wings this season, they have walked away with the “dubs in the chat.” So suiting up or not, Caitlin Clark’s squad owns the bragging rights. But circle your calendars, because “the real sequel’s” coming soon. On August 13. Both Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are expected to be healthy, suited up, and ready. Stay tuned for when that happens!