Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are already the central characters in a narrative the WNBA can’t stop pushing: scorer versus playmaker, flash versus flow.
But if you ask the people who know Bueckers best-Azzi Fudd‘s parents-the constant comparison misses the point entirely.
On the NOVA Legends podcast, Katie Smrcka-Duffy and Tim Fudd laid it out clearly. “[Paige] does have a competitive fire,” said Tim. “Caitlin shows hers a lot in those big moments… [Paige] has that fire in her belly, and we’ve just yet to see it [with the Wings].” The contrast was summed up in one bold declaration: “It’s Michael Jordan and LeBron James.”
That line, delivered without irony, speaks to the reverence and restraint in Bueckers’ game. According to Smrcka-Duffy, the difference isn’t just in production-it’s philosophy. “She’s not gonna shoot the ball 25 times a game. She’s just not… Where Caitlin wants to score, right? There’s a difference… Paige just, assist, rebound, score. Whatever you need me to do, let’s do it.”
Bueckers leads with patience-on and off the scoreboard
While Clark continues to dominate the headlines-and often the stat sheets-Bueckers is quietly asserting herself in her own way. In her return from injury, she dropped 35 points on the Phoenix Mercury, hitting 8-of-10 in the first half. But her team? They fell to 1-10.
Still, Bueckers refused to blame anyone. “It’s challenging, but very rewarding,” she said. “Trying to build what [our culture] looks like for this year… and the results will follow.”
She’s not demanding the spotlight. She’s building something more difficult: a team identity from scratch. While the league tries to pit her against Clark for attention, Bueckers‘ game-and her attitude-continue to write a very different kind of legacy.
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