The Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark Effect: The two stars to face off when Dallas Wings host Indiana Fever at the AAC
Arguably one of the most anticipated WNBA matchups of the 2025 season is happening Friday when the Dallas Wings host the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
In short, everyone will be focused on the two No. 1 picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
Both are credited for helping to bring a new wave of WNBA fans to the league over the last couple of years – Clark's rookie year in 2024 and Bueckers' rookie year this season – helping boost ticket sales in both their respective cities as players.
The excitement over the game prompted the Wings to move the game to the AAC, which holds more than triple the fans of the Wings' normal home court, College Park Center in Arlington.
Tickets through the AAC box office are sold out, the Wings announced Thursday morning, but on the secondary market. Seats range from around $120 in the upper deck to over $1,000 for courtside seats. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 CT.
During the first five weeks of the WNBA season, the Wings are 12th in the league standings and the Fever are 7th.
History between Bueckers and Clark
This isn't the first time, of course, the two stars have gone head-to-head. In college, Clark, who played at Iowa, and Bueckers, a UConn star, faced off in the Women's' NCAA Tournament.
In the 2021 Sweet Sixteen game between Iowa and UConn, Bueckers' near-triple-double helped lead the Huskies to a 92-72 victory over Iowa. Clark had 21 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds that game.
By the time the two teams met again, in the 2024 Final Four, a lot had changed for the college stars.
Bueckers was sidelined with a torn ACL the previous year, and Clark had become a sports sensation known for her long 3s.
In that matchup, Iowa was the favorite to win, being the No. 1 seed in the tournament, as UConn was ranked No. 3. In Bueckers' return to the tournament, the Hawkeyes prevailed with a close 71-69 win over UConn.
Former teammates
The two were also teammates for the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. Bueckers led Team USA with 19 points in the squad's win over Australia in the Final and was named MVP that year.
Bueckers' current WNBA stats
On Sunday, June 22, Bueckers passed Clark, becoming the fastest player to reach 200 points and 50 rebounds in WNBA history.
She leads all rookies in scoring, and averages nearly 18 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
Bueckers hit double figures in her 12th game as the Wings defeated the fourth overall ranked team in the league, the Atlanta Dream, on Tuesday, June 24.
Clark's current WNBA stats
As of late, Clark has been cold from her signature long-distance 3s while on the road. But once she gets going, it could mean trouble for Dallas.
She's averaging just over 18 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game. She's currently ranked second overall in assists per game.
Clark is also leading the fan voting for next month's WNBA All-Star Game.
