Time to Say It...Bueckers over Clark

Over the past few years, there has been a surge of talented players into women's college basketball & of course then the WNBA, all of it led by Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. While I will preface this by saying she is a top 3–5 women's player in the world, it's still time to sit back and have a conversation about Dallas Wings G Paige Bueckers.

For those who aren't in tune with the WNBA outside of Clark, you may know the name Paige Bueckers but not really the lore behind it. In the draft class behind Caitlin, the former UConn Husky was the "it" recruit out of high school; she was taking the women's game by storm really before the explosion of Clark, so why all of a sudden did she fall behind her in the current G.O.A.T. talk? An injury...yep, as simple as that, a torn ACL & a long recovery had Bueckers in a whole different spot, going from the can't-miss prospect to "will she ever reach that height of her game again?"

So the Clark train took off from the station as Bueckers waited in line for a ticket. Again, no shade on Clark as she took over all games with her talent at Iowa, BUT something many may not know is while Iowa & Clark never completed a national championship, Bueckers, upon her return to 100%, did lead the Huskies to a championship just a little time before starting her Rookie of the Year campaign.

With both now in the league & the stats at a level to be compared, you can't help but make the argument that Bueckers has not only caught back up to Clark's level but possibly even surpassed her this season as teams reach the 10-game threshold. While Clark still averages slightly more points per game, 18.7 to 18.3, Clark is needing 8 more shots a game to do so. So on the surface, Clark has the small advantage in numbers but is very far behind in the efficiency game. While Clark shoots 38% FG & 32% 3FG, Bueckers is hitting at a jaw-dropping 49% FG & 41% 3FG. This continues down the line, as Clark averages over 4 TOs a game to only 2 for Bueckers, with both of them doing most of the ball handling for their teams.

They also went head-to-head once, with Bueckers getting the better of the two and outplaying Clark. Now, that is only one game, but as you look at their games as a whole right now, the game is coming easier and smoother to Paige than Caitlin. The season is still young, and adjustments will need to be made for both as they continue to be at the top of everyone's scouting report, but as a fan and coach, it's really hard to argue against Bueckers soaring to become one of, if not the top player in the league.

I'll state this again, this isn't a slight on Clark but more of a "it's time to give Bueckers more respect & even a share as the new face of the league." The season is still young, but with both getting into the early MVP talks, we need to make sure Paige's name carries the weight that Clark's does, as she without a doubt deserves it after coming back from a torn ACL to being a national champion, to now leading a surging Dallas Wings to the top of the league. It's time to call it how it is in this moment: Bueckers > Clark.