Two of the WNBA's brightest young stars are squaring off for the first time at the professional level on Sunday as Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever are hosting Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Clark and Bueckers faced off twice during their college careers, with UConn beating Iowa in the 2021 Sweet Sixteen and Iowa beating UConn in the 2024 Final Four.
Clark had this to say about Bueckers before the game: “We’ve always been friends. I wouldn’t say we’re best friends and talk all the time. It’s hard when you end up going your separate ways and are at different colleges...I’ve always been a fan of hers and always been supportive.”
The stars, who have been the last two No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA draft, shared a nice moment before tipoff:
The first pro matchup between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers STARTS NOW!💥
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 13, 2025
1pm/ET on ABC! pic.twitter.com/kXseJfnBRi
Clark then didn't take long to hit a deep three-pointer:
YOU BET 🗣️
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 13, 2025
Caitlin Clark starts the game by connecting on the triple!
DAL-IND | Live on ABC pic.twitter.com/kJ927u9cMF
Bueckers later added one of her own from deep:
BOOM!
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 13, 2025
Paige Bueckers steps into a deep three
DAL-IND | Live on ABC pic.twitter.com/mfkAKiRfVY
This should be a fun one in Indy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers Shared Nice Moment Before First WNBA Showdown .
