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Paige Bueckers Responds to Playing Indiana Fever Without Caitlin Clark

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 9:17 PM ET

The Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings were headlining a primetime matchup, where fans thought they'd get to see the first meeting between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers at the professional level.

While the two WNBA stars are widely regarded as some of the most popular players in the league, Clark left fans wondering what the match may look like.

Clark was ruled out of the game with a groin injury, missing her second straight game for the Fever.

Before the matchup took place, Bueckers spoke with the media, sharing her thoughts on the Fever playing without Caitlin Clark.

"You hope to play against the full team every single time," Bueckers said.

Mistretta later mentioned that Bueckers said "she wishes no injury or no sitting out for everybody in the league."

Paige Bueckers was asked if she was looking forward to playing against Caitlin Clark before Clark's injury: "You hope to play against the full team every single time."

She said she wishes no "injury or no sitting out for everybody in the league."#WingsUp
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) June 27, 2025

After playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes for four seasons at the collegiate level, where Caitlin Clark didn't miss a single game, she has dealt with a slew of injuries this season.

In her second season with the Indiana Fever, Clark has now dealt with a quadriceps injury and a groin injury, keeping her out of the lineup for a total of seven games for Indiana.

In her second season with the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark has posted 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. When healthy, Clark leads the Fever in scoring and assists.

While Clark has been out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have taken most of the offensive responsibility for head coach Stephanie White.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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