Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers Share Honest Thoughts On Each Other

They were teammates at FIBA World Cups and have already met in AAU circuits and in college. With that in mind, Bueckers opened up on how surreal it was to meet with her again, this time at the biggest stage:

“I think if you asked both of us how life could’ve panned out, nobody could’ve expected it to be like this,” Bueckers said before the game. “We’re very grateful. We’re very blessed to be able to play and be in this position that we are. We don’t take this for granted, so it’s an honor to be on the floor and compete against each other.”

When asked about facing Bueckers, Clark had nothing but the utmost respect for her fellow 23-year-old opponent:

“She just plays way older than she is,” Clark said of Bueckers. “She’s confident. She’s smooth. She just does everything at a high level. Can score from all three levels, and that’s how she’s always played. And that’s obviously translated really well. Everybody knew that it would.”

Clark and the Fever got the last laugh in their first meeting as pros. The Fever ran away with a 102-83 win, with Clark logging a 14-point, 13-assist double-double. Bueckers put on a show despite the loss, going off for 21 points on 9-of-15 from the floor, four assists, four rebounds, and two steals.

This was more than just a game; it was a testament to how far the league has gone in recent years, and the battles between these two will be instant classics.