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Golden State Warriors
Aug 21, 2025 10:38 PM EDT
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers turned in one of the greatest rookie performances in WNBA history on Wednesday night. While it came in a loss to the LA Sparks, Bueckers poured in 44 points on 17-for-21 from the field.
In addition to breaking the WNBA’s single-game rookie scoring record (excluding the 1997 inaugural season when Cynthia Cooper also scored 44), Bueckers became the first player in league history to score 40 points on at least 80% shooting (via WNBA).
This historic performance had the basketball world talking, and it also preceded some discourse surrounding Bueckers and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) — Source: © Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
On Thursday, it was announced that the WNBA had set an all-time record for single-season attendance, drawing over 2.5 million fans to this point in the 2025 campaign.
As this news circulated social media, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green took notice of ESPN’s decision to use Bueckers’ in their post about the record — whereas Clark had previously been the face of similar developments.
“So I just came acrosss this post on ESPNW IG… and I found the picture interesting,” he wrote on Threads. “Is there a shift happening?”
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In a follow-up response to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who provided a general comment about the WNBA’s growing attendance, Green made it clear he was focused on the outlet’s decision to feature Bueckers on this graphic — seemingly alluding to the shift away from Clark for such posts.
“They spoke of all time attendance and showed Paige, who plays for Dallas but doesn’t have top 3 in attendance,” he pointed out. “Is Paige quickly becoming the face of The W?”
Per data from Across the Timeline, Dallas ranks 11th in average attendance this season. Indiana ranks second, trailing only the Golden State Valkyries who have been packing out Chase Center.
While Green did not mention Clark by name, she was featured in many of the responses to his post. Some noted that Clark has been injured, which could explain ESPN’s decision to use Bueckers for this graphic. However, others believe Bueckers could be challenging the Fever star for the “face of the WNBA” title.
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers Have A Long History
Each selected No. 1 overall in their respective drafts, Clark went first to Indiana in 2024 while Bueckers landed in Dallas when the Wings made their top selection in 2025. This dynamic ties Clark and Bueckers together, but the history runs even deeper.
An April 2024 story from ESPN detailed the deep ties between Clark and Bueckers, who were each ranked top-five in their recruiting class and competed on the same AAU circuit. This history set the stage for their Final Four matchup in 2024, which saw Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes defeat Buckers and the UConn Huskies 71-69.
Clark had 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in this game. Bueckers poured in 17 points, adding four rebounds and three assists. Now WNBA opponents, Clark and Bueckers have each made history early in their respective careers. They’re now also involved in “face of the league” discourse.
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Athlon NBA Staff