Aug 29, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Dream in the fourth quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers debate rages on: Who had better rookie season?

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers has had a tremendous first season in the WNBA, averaging 18.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.7 RPG, and 1.6 SPG. She's well on her way to winning the Rookie of the Year, but how does she stack up against last year's winner, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever?

Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic took a look at the rookie seasons of both players, trying to determine the better first season. She argued that while the counting stats may slightly favor Clark, Bueckers has had a bigger impact on team success, even if the Wings have struggled heavily. And struggling heavily could be why Bueckers' season may be lost to history.

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

"Although Bueckers had a worse net rating than Clark (minus-5.0 compared to minus-2.4), her on-off differential has been better in her rookie season," Merchant wrote. "The Wings are 8.1 points per 100 possessions better with Bueckers on the court, demonstrating her impact, even if it hasn’t translated to victories. Win shares favor Bueckers as well, and she can build on her 3.5-3.0 lead in the final three games.

"However one chooses to assess the statistical impact of Bueckers and Clark in their first years, there is one point of comparison that works in Clark’s favor. Bueckers’ production has come in the context of a largely meaningless season, as Dallas hasn’t even spent one day in playoff position. Clark and the Fever, on the other hand, rallied from a 2-9 start to pursue a postseason berth.

"That is the next frontier for Bueckers: not be a spoiler, but to play in games of real consequence. Clark’s rookie season ended with a big chasing her on the perimeter as she launched a 3-pointer because a playoff win was on the line. Bueckers’ rookie season could be lost to history if Dallas doesn’t put her in that position sooner than later."

Winning Will Always be the Difference

The Dallas Wings are currently 9-32 with just three games remaining, while the Fever were 20-20 in Clark's first season. That's a major difference. As Merchant point out earlier in her article, Clark had better teammates around her with Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.

Bueckers has had some All-Star help, too, in the form of Arike Ogunbowale, but the fit hasn't always been the smoothest between the two of them. They have the best odds to land the first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, so they have a great chance to add another young star who can blossom alongside Bueckers.

This article first appeared on Dallas Wings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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