For the last two years, the names Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have taken over our social media timelines, TV screens, and so forth.
You can’t go a day without entering a comments section, comparing the two.
At least I can’t . . .
But I’m not here to debate Clark vs. Reese. Clark won that debate when Reese started focusing more on her podcast than finishing her layups.
Instead, I’m here to highlight rookie star Paige Bueckers.
And if you’ve made it this far, that means you’ve seen the headline: She was Clark before Clark.
It’s true.
Two devastating knee injuries at UConn pushed her career back a year – a decision proven to be the right one, as she now boasts a shiny NCAA championship ring and can claim to have helped break the “Candace Parker Curse.”
Now a rookie in the WNBA, Bueckers has put her foot on the gas to make up for lost time. In just 11 games, she’s the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 points, 50 assists (beating Clark’s record), and 50 rebounds.
She leads all rookies in points, assists, and steals. Bueckers also dropped a career-high 35 points (straight out of concussion protocol) and has yet to score less than double-digit points.
Bueckers will be the only rookie starting in the WNBA All-Star game, placing second in fan votes, fifth in media votes, and fourth in player votes.
Technically, she had a higher ranking than Clark, but with fan voting weighing 50%, Clark beat her out for the captain spot.
It isn’t just about numbers and percentages, though. The kid is just fun to watch.
She’s lethal inside, putting guards and bigs alike in the spin cycle. She also has a stunning mid-range shot, earning her comparisons to Kevin Durant.
Letting her play in the paint is devastating to opponents. She can hit threes as well, nailing a nasty, half-court, rainbow shot recently to beat the buzzer.
The key here is that Bueckers is a jack of all trades. She can rebound, hit shots from every location, give her teammates dimes, and play real defense.
Bueckers is also more than just a ball player. She doesn’t subscribe to the ‘shut up and dribble’ mentality, instead choosing to use her platform and voice to uplift everyone (emphasis on everyone).
It seems that in just a few months, she has the league grinning ear to ear whenever it sees her.
From rookies to veterans, Bueckers has earned respect because she shows respect.
Paige, well done.
