“One of the greatest things about her game is just her poise and her maturity.” That’s just one of the many praises Caitlin Clark had for Paige Bueckers during March Madness on The Bird & Taurasi Show. She totally backed her up as WNBA-ready. And actually, these two, both from the Class of 2020, have always said good things about each other. But no matter what, the comparisons were always there, and now that they are in the same league. So, you can bet it’s only gonna heat up from here.

It has already kicked off, because Bueckers just had her WNBA preseason debut. She suited up for her very first pro minutes on Friday night, as the Dallas Wings took on the Las Vegas Aces in Notre Dame. This matchup was an exciting one for a bunch of reasons. First off, you’ve got the rising Wings facing off against the powerhouse Aces at a pretty iconic neutral spot — Purcell Pavilion.

Then, Notre Dame gave us Dallas star Arike Ogunbowale and Aces standouts Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd. But the headliner has to be…a chance to watch the no. 1 pick hoop in the W for the very first time. Wings’ new head coach Chris Koclanes wasted no time as he had her in the starting lineup. She didn’t disappoint.

About halfway through the first quarter, Bueckers scored her first-ever WNBA points. She weaved right through Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson, and Kiah Stokes like it was no big deal, drove straight to the hoop, and got it done. She ended the night with 10 points—most among all Wings starters, including a pair of stellar three-pointers, and four rebounds in 23 minutes of play, shooting 4-7.

The team lost 78–112, though. But amidst all the highs and lows, fans couldn’t help but notice something was off. And by off, we mean, too chill treatment for the star rookie. If you remember, a lot of Clark’s fans pointed to some of the seriously rough hits she’s taken in her debut season. It was the top headline on every sports show and pretty much kicked off a whole nationwide convo about how tough she’s been getting it out there.

Back in May, Breanna Stewart hit Clark with a mean screen. Then came the eardrum incident, the very next month, where Clark suffered a ruptured eardrum after colliding with a screen set by Jonquel Jones. The injury affected her hearing for weeks but did not require surgery. Clark later described this as her “Welcome to the WNBA” moment. Now, fast forward to Bueckers’ debut, and fans believe the treatment is different. 

Fans weigh in on Paige Bueckers’ preseason performance

Some fans were already calling it out as one wrote, “I told y’all, they won’t guard Paige like CC 😂 Leaving her open is crazy.” Paige Bueckers seemed to have a lot more open looks than expected. After all, she attempted 7 shots and 3 three-pointers. This, especially against a top-tier Aces defense, which is known for being pretty ruthless, raised questions. We’ve seen the Aces put up physical defenses before. Just last year, when the Fever faced them, players like Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson applied nonstop pressure on Clark, contributing to their massive 99–80 loss. So, fans are definitely raising an eyebrow at how Bueckers was left open in this matchup. 

And then, on the other hand, there were those who were straight-up disappointed. “I’m disappointed. I was told all rooks get the same welcome to the W treatment 😒” It’s kinda a rite of passage in the WNBA, right? When rookies finally realize they’re in the big league, especially when the stars get their moment. Along with Clark, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese was on the receiving end of a brutal flagrant foul from Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun, leading to Thomas getting ejected. So, fans are definitely comparing the two moments and questioning if Bueckers got off easy. But again, it’s just her first game.

Then, one fan was like, “Not having Jackie on her tells me everything I need to know.” Young, who dropped 28 points in that game, is known for being super physical and intense. She’s fantastic in one-on-one matchups and can mess up passing lanes all day. But when it came to Bueckers, it wasn’t Young who was guarding her.

 Another fan threw in, “I’m not even watching, but I knew this was gonna happen.” Funny thing is, it wasn’t just one fan thinking this. It was widely assumed that Bueckers wasn’t going to have the same game as Clark. You know, the whole UConn thing plays a role – she’s from a school that’s like a factory for basketball stars, and the league is filled with former Huskies. On the other hand, Caitlin Clark came from Iowa.

Some fans even went as far as saying, “They don’t have to bro. No team will. Caitlin is a superstar player who is deadly from anywhere. No one in the Wnba compares to Caitlin. There has to be a defense game plan specifically for Caitlin.” Well, this debate could go on forever, but both Bueckers and Clark came off standout college careers, termed as ‘generational stars’ and the expectations were (are) sky-high for both of them. But you know, in the midst of all the Bueckers talk, other rookies really stood out. Aziaha James scored 10 points while JJ Quinerly put up a team-high 16. The bench came alive with 46 points while the starters could only manage 32.

Going forward, can these two outshine PB? We never know. For now, let’s not forget, though, even Clark’s team lost their first preseason game. And the regular hasn’t even begun. We can’t jump to conclusions just yet. Let’s see how things play out and if Paige Bueckers eventually gets hit with the same WNBA challenges, like those screens.