It appears ESPN has taken a side in the ongoing Caitlin Clarks versus Paige Bueckers debate.
The sports outlet has officially ranked Clark as the top talent under 25 in the league. But the race to number one is still close — Bueckers is just behind her at the second spot.
Though last year's season was dominated by discourse that Clark against Angel Reese, Bueckers has always made more sense as a rival for the Fever star. The pair play the same role on their teams and have regularly encountered one another throughout their careers. In fact, UConn coach Geno Auriemma famously did not recruit Clark because he already had Bueckers, who would have been in the 2024 WNBA Draft if she had not torn her ACL and opted for a fifth year at college.
ESPN noted that Clark has missed plenty of games this season due to ongoing injuries, but quickly pointed out that her impact is "enormous."
"She stretches the floor with her shooting range, pushes the pace and picks defenses apart with her passing," ESPN wrote. On top of that, Clark "is the biggest draw on the road of any WNBA player," a reality that cannot be ignored.
As for Bueckers, she's more than proven her talent in the league and is the only player besides Clark to average 19 points and 5 assists in their rookie season, ESPN noted.
Bueckers recently set a WNBA rookie scoring record with 44 points. She was nearly flawless, shooting 17-for-21 from the field. It marked the first time a WNBA player has ever scored 40 points while shooting 80 percent or better.
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