Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers help topple WNBA record despite Fever star’s absence
The Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever made WNBA history by drawing the largest crowd ever for a professional women’s basketball game in Texas, even though Caitlin Clark was unable to face off against Paige Bueckers due to injury.
Clark, 23, has missed six Fever games this season during her second season because of an injury, despite never missing a game in college. The superstar guard and WNBA All-Star missed her second straight game on Friday against the Wings, where she would have gone head-to-head with former college rival Bueckers, who was drafted first overall in April this year.
Clark was there at the American Airlines Center, cheering on her Fever teammates from the bench while wearing a team hoodie. Despite the all-time NCAA points scorer’s absence on the court, a record-breaking crowd of 20,409 watched as the Fever defeated the Wings 94-86, marking the largest audience for a professional women’s basketball game in Texas.
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Even though they lost, Bueckers bolstered her chances of being named WNBA Rookie of the Year, potentially taking the title from Clark, who won it last year.
Bueckers racked up 27 points, dished out six assists, and grabbed one rebound in 36 minutes. The former UConn national champion’s impact and importance to the Wings roster is evident, with Bueckers logging the most minutes against the Fever.
Bueckers is averaging 18.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. She expressed gratitude for the large number of fans who turned out to watch Friday’s WNBA showdown.
Paige Bueckers scored 27 points in the defeat to the Fever(Image: Getty)
“Yeah, it just makes you excited for the future and what it can continue to look like if we keep investing in women’s sports, keep letting us play in platforms like this, arenas like this,” Bueckers said when asked about her thoughts on the new WNBA record set in Texas.
“There was a great turnout, a great environment. It just makes you excited as an individual and as a team to continue to keep representing Dallas. And so, yeah, just excited for the movement.”
Bueckers, who is highly regarded much like Clark, acknowledges the immense expectations placed upon them. Yet, she has voiced that the pressure for Clark to be perfect every game is “inhumane.”
Clark accompanied her teammates on the bench(Image: Getty)
“She handles it with grace,” Bueckers remarked about the Fever star, whom she shares a close friendship with off the court.
“The pressure that she’s put on every single night to perform at the level that she does, it’s inhumane, really, to expect people to be perfect and to not have off games or off nights.
“If she doesn’t go 8-for-10 from three, people are questioning things. It’s unfair to have to deal with that.”
The Fever will face off against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night, while the Dallas Wings are set to challenge the Washington Mystics on Sunday night.
