Just like us, you are probably wondering why this Clark-Bueckers comparison just never seems to end. But, guess these are inevitable considering that both are from the same class of 2020, and both were No.1 picks for franchises that dumped all of their hopes on rookies. Caitlin Clark passed with flying colors in that regard. So, now that it is Paige Bueckers’ turn, eyes are glued to the TV. It is pretty harsh, if you ask us, to put so much pressure on someone who has barely put one foot in the league.
Just take yesterday’s example. Bueckers took the floor in a WNBA arena for the first time. You’d think fans might’ve extended a bit of grace, right? Especially considering that she was going against one of the best, the Las Vegas Aces. Yet, nope, expectations were higher than anything. Then the comparisons came in, OF COURSE. Just one game, all it took was one game in the WNBA for people to start clamoring that Paige is being defended against differently than Clark. From “she is being given more respect than Clark” to “no one considers her a threat enough”, they just didn’t stop.
So, while Bueckers is trying to write her own story, she just cannot leave behind the towering shadow of Caitlin, who reshaped the league. And it’s not just about who gets double-teamed more. Ticket prices, media buzz, and every rookie misstep have all been dragged into this invisible tug-of-war. For now, let us take a look at the ticket numbers. Now, see, WNBA ticket prices in 2025 jumped 43% compared to last year, up from $122 to $173. Yes, it is because of names like Clark and Bueckers, basically rookies or young superstars. But does even this data really warrant an in-your-face comparison for people who are just trying to adapt in the league right now?
Enter Ringer Podcast host Seerat Sohi, who tried to untangle this with some data—and possibly tangled it more. Depending on your lens, she either lightened the pressure on Bueckers or added a few more bricks to her backpack. While analyzing the spike in demand, Sohi pointed out the UConn connection: But the interesting thing to me is Dallas, as an away team, had an 89% increase in their away ticket prices and, that to me, is kind of like the Paige effect. They also have the most expensive secondary ticket at home…..It also comes from the fact that where’s Connecticut? It’s like all these all these UConn fans want to go see Paige as well, so that that ticket price is actually really really expensive as well.”
Now, for better context: the Indiana Fever is leading the league with a $282 average road ticket price. That’s nearly $100 more than Chicago or Las Vegas. And you know why. Meanwhile, the Dallas Wings—thanks to Bueckers—hold the highest home ticket average at $241 and lead in away ticket growth with that whopping 89%. But of course, in the top-10 costliest games, there is only one that doesn’t feature the Fever. Hence, the claims that oh Paige effect is already getting overshadowed by the Clark effect. ummm…. come on?
Hence, Sohi ventured into an interesting point from there, hinting at the new normal in WNBA where no one wears the crown: “It just seems like this season it’s not going to be all reliant on one team and one narrative to power things. It just feels like there’s always been great storylines but it feels like there’s a lot more people who are invested in all these story lines as well.”
Expanding her argument, she further said, “I think when you consider the fact that a lot of the current stars of the league not named Caitlyn Clark had their own ingrained fan bases like A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Angel Reese,” Sohi said. “Those three I think, you argue had breaking containment fandom. They weren’t just people known in the women’s basketball world but they were known by people either in the greater basketball world or just the general cultural lexicon,” she said.
So, yes, Bueckers and the Wings have two options. Either they revel in this new normal and focus solely on getting better, or they beat themselves up over the fact that now the competition isn’t limited to matching Clark but surpassing her and many others. What they will choose remains to be seen, but one thing is clear. This wider audience that solely doesn’t hinge on rivalries is much needed if we want to see some real growth in the league that benefits the players, too. More eyes don’t mean heightened empowerment, after all. As Sue Bird once said, “In so many ways, I would’ve loved to have been valued as a basketball player. I would’ve loved to have been spoken about just for my play. I think everybody in the league can say that. But nobody ever let us do that.”
It is true. Rivalries are fun, but only when they stay on the court, are respectful, and justified. Clark probably understands this better than most, having lived inside the pressure cooker of media obsession. But when those narratives sneak off the court and start dictating how we value athletes as people, it chips away at something vital. If the players themselves are uniting and sharing the spotlight, maybe it’s time we did too.
Paige Bueckers’ clear message to keyboard warriors
The comparisons honestly never made sense, considering that their paths have been way different. Some analysts have even gone on to say that had Bueckers not been sidelined by injuries in college, we probably wouldn’t be talking about Clark the way we do now. Well, the latter part is up for debate,e but it is true that her injuries did play a role. Furthermore, comparing their W rookie seasons seems even more baseless to some because while Clark could leverage that Olympic break, Bueckers had to dive in straight after college. Five days of training camp aren’t enough, are they?
Yet, the comment sections are always doing that act of balancing, and Bueckers has something to say in that regard. On Friday, after her preseason game, she was asked about these comparisons. And her reply felt like a breath of fresh air.
“No expectations,” Bueckers said. “I feel like that comes from an outside source, so just building with the team here. Trying to get better every single day, like I talk about every single time. Don’t worry about expectations… Expectations are a narrative that the media tries to create. Not letting outside sources in is really the expectation.”
The post National Reporter’s WNBA Bombshell Raises the Bar for Paige Bueckers to Surpass the Caitlin Clark Effect appeared first on EssentiallySports.