Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers’ First WNBA Faceoff Sparks Elated Reactions From Indiana Fever Fans

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers' first WNBA faceoff went the way of the Indiana Fever superstar, but Bueckers didn't disappoint.

Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers’ First WNBA Faceoff Sparks Elated Reactions From Indiana Fever Fans

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

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The Indiana Fever have moved one game above .500 after their blowout 102-83 win at home on Sunday. They entered the game 10-10, having won their previous game after a two-game slide. Both Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers brought their A-games to the occasion. This game will likely go down as the WNBA game with the highest viewership of all time, based on the anticipation and social media activity in it.

Caitlin Clark kept improving her output to hitherto unforeseen levels for any passer in WNBA history. She finished the game with 13 assists, compared to just two turnovers through 31 minutes of action. Clark also had five steals, a block, and three rebounds to her name on a productive occasion. She used her anticipation to great effect on the defensive end and picked off some really errant passes attempted by Dallas.

The Indiana Fever sensation continued to get her name up in the record books with more feats. With 14 points and 13 assists in this outing, she became the first WNBA player to have multiple games with those numbers. Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury is the only player in league history to record such a statline. No one else through 28 years of WNBA play has managed a 14-point, 13-assist outing.

The Fever were able to deal with her being off the floor much better than they did in 2024. The advent of Aari McDonald and the playmaking improvement of Aliyah Boston has allowed the team to become less reliant on its franchise star to create looks for its players. Natasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell were both beneficiaries of this. The two All-Stars had themselves 40 points combined, shooting 16-21 from the field.

Paige Bueckers, for her part, was a mean scorer who got buckets against everyone the Fever threw at her. She started the first quarter off red hot, finding teammates on the roll and creating her own shot. She had two shots that went in while being guarded by Caitlin Clark, fueling the head-to-head rivalry with her play. Though the Wings lost, Bueckers gave a good account of herself with 21 points on 9-15 shooting.

WNBA fans react to the first pro faceoff between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers

The duel between two former National Players of the Year had a lot of interest heading into the game. Dallas and Indiana are on different stages of rebuilding, so most fans expected the Fever to take the game and dominate proceedings exactly as they did. However, Paige Bueckers was singled out for her doggedness and unrelenting play as she finished the game as the highest scorer on either side.

Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark battling in college
Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark battling in college (Image via Open Source/X)

WNBA fans praised Bueckers’ scoring skillset, noting that she could score in a variety of ways and a variety of defenders. They also lambasted her teammates for not being able to keep up with her push on the offensive end.

Caitlin Clark fans, meanwhile, had every reason to rejoice at their favorite player’s outing despite her subpar shooting streak continuing in this game. They also had some choice words for the refereeing

Both factions of fans will be licking their lips at the individual quality that their favorites displayed in this marquee faceoff. It has set the tone for a storied WNBA guard rivalry in years to come.

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