The wait was long, but the reward was worth it, and fans saw Caitlin Clark face off against Paige Bueckers on the court.
Despite injuries getting in the way of this sporting rivalry, the two faced off in the game on Sunday, July 13. And the match was a success, and not just because of the results.
Indiana defeated Dallas, beating them 102-83 and leaving the Fever’s record at 11-10 and Bueckers and her team’s at 6-16. Despite this, during the first quarter, the game was very close and even, but during the second, CC and the Fever went into halftime with a nearly 20-point lead, something their rivals couldn’t recover from. This is the second consecutive victory for Clark and her teammates.
The Indiana star continued to struggle with her shooting (she made 4 of 12 field goals and 2 of 7 three-pointers), but her assists cushioned the blow: she had 13 of them and became the fastest point guard in WNBA history to reach 100 assists in a single season.
Bueckers, for her part, also shone despite the defeat. She scored a game-high 21 points, with 4 assists and 4 rebounds in 33 minutes of action. Although it was not her best performance, as she has had better ones, she still impressed the opposing coach, Stephanie White.
The Fever coach’s reaction to Paige
After seeing the talent of the 23-year-old rookie, White had no choice but to surrender to her, and even praised Bueckers’ play.
In conversation with Moreau Sports Media Prod Co., Stephanie began by saying, “She always stays neutral. She doesn’t get rushed, her pace, her poise, her decision making.”
In addition, the 48-year-old not only praised her play, but also her way of thinking, which makes her a complete player and worthy of admiration, especially considering her short time in the WNBA: “When you play someone who is really high IQ and is elite in all areas… and they just try and maintain that flow, it makes it tough,” White admitted.
Finally, the Indiana head coach set her apart from the rest of her rivals and highlighted her as one of the best: “That’s the difference between good players and great players. It’s fun to watch, not as an opponent on the sideline…for Paige, she’s figuring it out.”
Meanwhile, the next time we’ll see Clark face off against Bueckers will be on August 1 in Dallas. Will Paige bounce back after falling 0-1 to Caitlin?
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