Paige Bueckers has been a topic of discussion since she first put on a UConn jersey.
She is projected to get drafted #1 by the Dallas Wings next year after they won the draft lottery. This is huge for the franchise as she was viewed as the Caitlin Clark before Caitlin Clark prior to picking up an ACL injury that put her out of action for a year
Drafting her could transcend the franchise as she is one of the faces of college basketball alongside the likes of Juju Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.
Here at the Indiana Fever Report we discuss how Bueckers and Clarks expectations coming into the WNBA are similar.
Bueckers is expected to thrive in year one
Despite missing one year of action as a result of tearing her ACL, Bueckers is still expected to do relatively well in year one.
She has done well in her college career thus far. This season she has averaged 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 8 games.
The 22 year old arguably is a more complete player then Clark ,so her game should translate well to the WNBA. It would not come as a surprise if she wins rookie of the year in her first season.
Bueckers may not need adjusting to the league
Caitlin Clark did not really get going in her rookie year untill the midway point of the season, but ended the season strong averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists on route to winning rookie of the year. Clark's slow start is not a shock as she was not afforded a break from her college career until the midway point of the 2024 season(after the Olympic break).
Her output is a testament to how well she had adjusted to the league.
Bueckers will be in a similar situation since she won't be able to rest unless her team gets knocked out of championship contention early. What's more unfortunate is that she will not have a Olympic break which she can use to rest and recuperate.
Bueckers is expected the grow the popularity of the WNBA
There were a lot of new eyes tuning into the WNBA this year because of Caitlin Clark. In fact she had the most viewed WNBA player page in each state last season which speaks volumes of how she has transcended the game of women's basketball.
Bueckers will not be any different as she is projected to be a generational player like Clark, with many people expected to tune into her games just to see her play. If she performs well in year 1 then many new WNBA fans will support the Dallas Wings because of her.