Heading into the WNBA season, many were excited for the prospects of Indiana Fever superstar sophomore Caitlin Clark. Especially what she’d do in her second year in the WNBA after a historic rookie season.
While Clark averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, it was just in 13 games of action. The Fever star was hampered by a hamstring injury that kept her out indefinitely before officially being ruled out for the rest of the season.
Since Clark has been absent, she has taken on a more backstage role, similar to a leading actress in a major film about to launch into the next phase of her career, but an uncontrollable circumstance temporarily halts their progress.
That leaves room for another ultra-talented actress who is ready to make waves on the scene, and that actress has been none other than the Dallas Wings’ rookie Paige Bueckers.
There aren’t enough adjectives to describe Bueckers. Transcendent. Unselfish. Cognizant. Intelligent. You get my gist. While the Wings finished with the worst record in the Western Conference at 10-34, they have a bright franchise cornerstone in Bueckers for the foreseeable future.
She could become Dallas’s most popular athlete with former Dallas superstars Luka Doncic and Micah Parsons both out of the fold. Let’s get into why the AP Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers, can become “The Face” of the WNBA.
Paige Bueckers is the next face of the WNBA, not Caitlin Clark
To be the face of a sport, you must stand out among your peers. You must be both transcendent and appealing to box office success, as this encourages crowds to want to attend the games. Bueckers has done that and more in her rookie season, breaking numerous records.
In her rookie season, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on an efficient 47% from the field. She also shot 33% from downtown and 88% from the charity stripe.
To go into a more context, she’s the only rookie in WNBA history to average 19+ points and 5+ assists while shooting better than 45% from the field and at least 85% from the foul line. She was the fastest rookie to 500 points and 150 assists, breaking Clark’s previous record.
Bueckers also set the single-game rookie scoring record by scoring 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 20 in mesmerizing fashion. From textbook pull-up threes and creative crossover finishes to the basket to even a mid-post fadeaway reminiscent of Kobe Bryant. Flawless fundamentals.
It wasn’t just a single-game rookie record; Bueckers became the only player in WNBA history to score 40+ in a game while shooting an unfathomable 80% from the field. That’s efficiency and volume the likes of which the WNBA has never seen.
It doesn’t stop there for Bueckers. She set franchise rookie records in points and assists for the Wings. Not only that, she was also named an All-Star and just the third rookie in WNBA history to be named AP All-WNBA, garnering All-WNBA Second Team nods and joining Caitlin Clark (2024) and Breanna Stewart (2016).
As the WNBA gears up for its next generation, it’s time to gear up to turn the next Bueckers.
