Paige Bueckers is lighting up the WNBA, and her jaw-dropping 44-point performance against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 20, 2025, has everyone buzzing. The Dallas Wings‘ rookie sensation, drafted first overall in 2025, is drawing comparisons to Indiana Fever‘s Caitlin Clark, with many wondering if she could outshine the league’s reigning superstar.
Born October 20, 2001, in Edina, Minnesota, Bueckers was a hoops prodigy from the start. At Hopkins High School, she was the No. 1 recruit in her class, earning 2020 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors. Her senior year stats-21.0 points, 9.2 assists, 5.2 steals-led Hopkins to a 30-0 record before the state championship was canceled due to COVID-19. At the University of Connecticut (UConn), Bueckers became a legend.
As a freshman in 2020-21, she averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.3 steals, becoming the first freshman to win the Naismith, Wooden, and AP Player of the Year awards. Despite a tibial plateau fracture in 2021 and a torn ACL that sidelined her for the 2022-23 season, she bounced back, leading UConn to a 2025 national title with 17 points in the championship game.
Selected by the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bueckers debuted on May 16, 2025, scoring 10 points against the Minnesota Lynx. She quickly found her groove, posting a double-double (12 points, 10 assists) days later. Her breakout came on June 11, dropping 35 points against Phoenix, tying Clark’s career-high from 2024. On August 15, she broke the Wings’ rookie assist record with her 143rd assist, becoming the fastest rookie to reach 500 points and 100 assists.
Paige Bueckers’ hot streak signals a new rivalry
Then, on August 20, she made history with 44 points on 81% shooting, tying Cynthia Cooper-Dyke‘s 1997 rookie scoring record and becoming the first WNBA player to score 40+ points with 80%+ field goal accuracy. She’s now averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals, leading all rookies.
Why is she Clark’s rival? Both were top recruits in 2020, shared the 2021 USBWA Freshman of the Year award, and faced off twice in the NCAA Tournament, splitting wins. Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick, set rookie records with 769 points and 337 assists, but injuries limited her to 13 games in 2025. Bueckers, healthier and more efficient (47.4% FG vs. Clark’s 41.7%), is capitalizing on her absence, earning WNBA Rookie of the Month for June and July and a 2025 All-Star start. Their July 13 matchup drew 2.1 million viewers, showing their star power.
Wings coach Chris Koclanes says, “She’s rookie of the year. There’s no questions”. Bueckers’ midrange game, dubbed “unguardable” by teammate Arike Ogunbowale, sets her apart. While Clark’s playmaking is elite, Bueckers’ versatility and efficiency make her a unique threat. As Charles Barkley noted, “If that girl stays healthy, she is in the conversation with… Caitlin for the next 20 years”. With her trajectory, Bueckers isn’t just competing with Clark-she might just redefine the WNBA’s future.
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