Sports

Paige Bueckers Bodied Indiana Fever Reporter Who Asked Leading Question About Caitlin Clark

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Paige Bueckers Caitlin Clark
© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark had Paige Bueckers in a blender for the majority of their first meeting since the Final Four. The soon-to-be WNBA Rookie of the Year and the Dallas Wings lost to the reigning Rookie of the Year and the Indiana Fever in blowout fashion.

It ended with a comically tense exchange during the postgame press conference.

There was a lot of hype surrounding this first meeting between Clark and Bueckers in the WNBA. Two No. 1 overall picks going at it for the first time as pros. Two of the best point guards in the league going head-to-head. A rematch of Iowa’s close victory over UConn at the NCAA Tournament in 2024.

However, the game ended up being a dud. It was a close game in the first quarter! Indiana jumped out to a one-point advantage through 10 minutes. The Fever then blew the doors open with a 36-15 second quarter. They went on to defeat the Dallas Wings by a final score of 102-83.

Caitlin Clark 1 — Paige Bueckers 0

Caitlin Clark only scored 14 points in the win but she finished with 13 assists a career-high five steals. The majority of her steals came against Paige Bueckers, who turned the ball over four times.

Clark read Bueckers like a book on a few different occasions.

To be fair to Bueckers, she still dropped a game-high 21 points with four rebounds and four assists. She also got one back on Clark during the second half.

The latter had nothing but good things to say about the former after the game.

I turned the game off at halftime because of the score but it was clear to me during the first 20 minutes that, in this current stage of their careers, Caitlin Clark is better than Paige Bueckers. Perhaps that also has something to do with the team around her. I don’t know. She is in a better position for success. Maybe that’s the more accurate way to phrase it.

The line of questioning is sus.

Anyway, Bueckers was asked after the game about the times she got picked off by Clark. The question was worded in a way that did not present much room for an answer. The reporter, who I have yet to identify, essentially posed a yes or no question. Bueckers, visibly irritated and/or unamused, said yes.

I completely understand why Paige Bueckers is annoyed by the leading question about Caitlin Clark. It was poorly structured. However, she better get used to this kind of thing. The biggest star in the WNBA will continue to be the focus of conversation. This is going to keep happening.

Although Bueckers was not thrilled by the angle, she still fielded and answered the question with grace. Credit to her. A lot of other players in the league might’ve responded in a confrontational manner. They often bite the hand that feeds them. They hate Clark. Bueckers doesn’t. She would just prefer to focus more on the bigger picture. Fair enough.