Caitlin Clark has been sidelined due to a groin strain, marking her second such injury this season. Fans have not been able to watch her play since prior to the All-Star Game, and a recent report revealed she is also contending with a bone bruise in her ankle. This season has been challenging for the second-year star as she has faced one misfortune after another.
It’s hard to maintain the role of the league’s face when unable to participate, yet Clark remains undoubtedly the WNBA’s most prominent and influential player. However, in her absence, a rival has emerged. Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers, who, like Clark, was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, is making her mark.
On the latest episode of The Dan Patrick Show, the former Sportscenter anchor argued that the league’s pivotal rivalry will not be Clark vs. Reese, but rather Clark vs. Bueckers. He said: “Keep in mind, Paige Bueckers was Caitlin Clark before Caitlin Clark,”
“She was the Player of the Year as a freshman. Then she went through a couple of knee surgeries, and really, perseverance got her to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.”
Patrick is absolutely correct that Bueckers was once viewed as the future star of women’s basketball. She was the highest-ranked recruit coming out of high school, and upon arriving at UConn, Bueckers proved her worth by becoming the first freshman ever to earn National Player of the Year honors.
