Paige Bueckers Gives Thoughtful Response Pushing Back on Caitlin Clark Comparisons

Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers / Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

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Caitlin Clark and Fever Are Embracing the Pressure!

There have been plenty of comparisons made between last year’s No. 1 WNBA draft pick Caitlin Clark, and this year’s top pick, Paige Bueckers.

After Clark enjoyed a sensational and historic rookie season for the Indiana Fever, expectations surrounding Bueckers’s debut season in the WNBA have only risen.

As far as the comparisons go, however, Bueckers says she doesn’t see too much similarity between Clark’s game and her own. Speaking with Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints, Bueckers explained that she feels the frequent comparisons between herself and Clark are “media driven” and that she intends to focus on herself throughout her rookie campaign.

“I think, running my own race, not running a race in comparison. Because in all honesty, I don’t think me and Caitlin play at all alike. But I understand growing up in the same class, the same generation, both guards… I don’t know, but I don’t think we play alike,” Bueckers said when asked for her perspective on the comparisons.

“Those comparisons are just media driven, narrative driven. And they’re good for the game in terms of getting people to talk about it and it being a talking point. So I’m sure we both have gotten used to it. I used to think about it and internalize it a little bit more, but now working on myself, working on being present and embracing the people around me and just working on getting better every single day has kind of helped me,” Bueckers continued.

Considering her standout career at UConn and the fact she was the No. 1 pick, Bueckers figures to be in the spotlight during her rookie season with the Dallas Wings, much like Clark was in Indiana, but she’s determined not to let the outside noise distract her from playing her own game.

During her final season with the Huskies, Bueckers averaged 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while leading UConn to a national championship victory. She had 17 points, six rebounds and three assists in the team’s rout of South Carolina in the NCAA tournament final.

As she begins her journey in the WNBA, Bueckers made clear she’s focusing on herself and not trying to compete with Clark and what the Fever guard achieved in her rookie season.