Caitlin Clark Praises 'Smooth' Paige Bueckers Before First WNBA Showdown

July 13 marks an important game for the Indiana Fever, as they're looking to build a winning streak in the wake of their big win over the Atlanta Dream two days prior, in what should be a winnable game against the 6-15 Dallas Wings.

Of course, this contest has even more intrigue because it marks the first time that women's basketball superstars Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are competing in the WNBA for the first time. This is because Clark was injured the first time her Indiana Fever squad played Bueckers' Dallas Wings on June 27.

Now Clark and Bueckers are both fully healthy and less than an hour away from facing off. And Clark gave Bueckers her flowers when speaking with the media before Sunday's game.

"I feel like she has played in the same manner that she has since when we were on the [Team USA] u-16 team together, u-19 team together. Whether it's me watching her in AAU, she has always just been smooth," Clark said of Bueckers, per an X post from Andy Backstrom.

"She takes what the game gives her, her middie has always as nice as it has been this year. She just plays way older than she is. She's confident, she's smooth, she just does everything at a high level. She can score from all 3 levels. And that’s how she’s always played. That’s obviously translated really well. And everybody knew that it would," Clark added.

"Her ability to just be smooth, and go with what the game's gonna give her, she's never gonna force anything. I think it has always been that, and she has just continued to stay true to that," she concluded.