Paige Bueckers is having one of the most impressive rookie campaigns the WNBA has seen in recent years. The Dallas Wings guard has showcased elite efficiency, poise, and leadership well beyond her years.
Yet despite consistently turning in standout performances, Bueckers remains surprisingly underrepresented in national sports media coverage.
Since entering the league as the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bueckers has exceeded expectations. Her averages throughout the season place her among the top rookies in points, assists, steals, and shooting efficiency.
In June, Bueckers was named WNBA Rookie of the Month, and later earned a starting role in the All-Star Game, a testament to both her performance and fan support.
Bueckers’ astonishing feat set the tone
Perhaps her most jaw-dropping game came in August, when she scored 44 points on an astonishing 17-of-21 shooting, tying a rookie record for single-game scoring and setting a new bar for efficiency.
However, this dominant display from Bueckers went largely unnoticed by major sports outlets. ESPN’s flagship program SportsCenter offered just a brief highlight, quickly pivoting to preseason NFL discussions. The oversight didn’t go unnoticed by fans and public figures.
Rapper Plies called out the network’s inconsistency, questioning why similar or lesser performances by other top rookies, like Caitlin Clark, received front-page treatment, while Bueckers’ historic night was barely acknowledged.
Katie Lever of Awful Announcing highlighted this discrepancy in an article that questioned the broader media narrative.
Lever pointed out that while Clark enjoyed wall-to-wall national attention during her debut season, including weeklong coverage after a single hard foul, Bueckers’ achievements are frequently overlooked.
This disparity is even more puzzling considering Bueckers’ debut drew a 121 percent increase in viewership compared to the previous season, making it one of the most-watched WNBA games not featuring Clark.
Why aren’t people tuning in?
There are structural reasons behind the media gap. WNBA games still suffer from limited TV exposure, with many games, including those of the Wings, being streamed exclusively on League Pass.
Meanwhile, the NFL and NBA enjoy massive national coverage across multiple accessible platforms. But that alone doesn’t justify the media silence around a player performing at a historic level.
Bueckers herself has spoken about media representation, using her platform to advocate for increased visibility for Black female athletes, acknowledging the ongoing disparity in how different athletes are covered.
Despite the lack of spotlight, Bueckers continues to let her game speak for itself. As the WNBA evolves, media narratives must evolve too, because if Paige Bueckers isn’t being widely recognized, then something in the system still isn’t working.
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