The headlines love to frame it as a rivalry. Paige Bueckers isn’t buying it.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, now a rookie with the Dallas Wings, spoke out this week about the ongoing comparisons between her and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
For Bueckers, who spent years shouldering hype at UConn, the constant parallels once got under her skin. Not anymore.
“That’s what the media cares about,” Bueckers said during an interview with TIME. “That’s what everybody who watches basketball cares about. I used to be bothered by it. But I’ve done so much work on myself and my approach.”
Instead of chasing Clark’s shadow, Bueckers is charting her own path.
“The ability to not run a race in comparison, to run my own race and worry about that,” she explained. “Caitlin’s a phenomenal player. We’re also completely different players.”
Clark, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, shattered the NCAA scoring record and instantly became the face of the Fever and a national figure.
Bueckers, meanwhile, led UConn back to a National Championship in 2025 and rebounded from injuries that once threatened to derail her career.
Her game is surgical, team-first, and built for big moments — a style that contrasts with Clark’s high-volume, high-octane attack.
“It’s good for the game,” Bueckers admitted. “At the end of the day, I don’t think either of us really cares about it, because we’re just trying to be the best versions of ourselves.”
Now in opposing WNBA backcourts, the two phenoms may be linked by fans and headlines — but as Bueckers made clear, her focus is internal. Not reactionary.
Related: Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Hold Back on New Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson
The headlines love to frame it as a rivalry. Paige Bueckers isn’t buying it.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, now a rookie with the Dallas Wings, spoke out this week about the ongoing comparisons between her and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
For Bueckers, who spent years shouldering hype at UConn, the constant parallels once got under her skin. Not anymore.
“That’s what the media cares about,” Bueckers said during an interview with TIME. “That’s what everybody who watches basketball cares about. I used to be bothered by it. But I’ve done so much work on myself and my approach.”
Instead of chasing Clark’s shadow, Bueckers is charting her own path.
“The ability to not run a race in comparison, to run my own race and worry about that,” she explained. “Caitlin’s a phenomenal player. We’re also completely different players.”
Clark, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, shattered the NCAA scoring record and instantly became the face of the Fever and a national figure.
Bueckers, meanwhile, led UConn back to a National Championship in 2025 and rebounded from injuries that once threatened to derail her career.
Her game is surgical, team-first, and built for big moments — a style that contrasts with Clark’s high-volume, high-octane attack.
“It’s good for the game,” Bueckers admitted. “At the end of the day, I don’t think either of us really cares about it, because we’re just trying to be the best versions of ourselves.”
Now in opposing WNBA backcourts, the two phenoms may be linked by fans and headlines — but as Bueckers made clear, her focus is internal. Not reactionary.
Related: Gregg Popovich Doesn’t Hold Back on New Spurs Coach Mitch Johnson
