Paige Bueckers hasn't even stepped onto a court for the Dallas Wings yet, and she's already drawing comparisons to WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark.
Fans have been talking about both players in the same breath as early as Bueckers's NCAA title run with UConn this past year, when she won her first-ever national championship. Clark and her Hawkeyes memorably finished as the runners-up during her senior season in 2024.
With the two darlings of women's hoops set to take the league by storm in 2025, a handful of WNBA general managers were asked by ESPN's Alexa Philippou for their thoughts on what Bueckers's rookie season could look like.
A few immediately drew parallels to that of Clark's historic first year in the pros.
"It's just really hard to impact the game as a rookie," one GM told ESPN's Alexa Philippou. "What Caitlin did last year is so special and unique. Paige is a special player... I think she'll be a good player this year, but I'm not expecting a Caitlin-like impact. And that's an unfair bar to set."
"I think [Bueckers] has an MVP ceiling," said another GM. "I don't think it's as apparent as like A'ja [Wilson] or Caitlin was coming out, but I think it's right behind them... I think Paige just needs to get a little more selfish to get to that level."
Clark's rookie season with the Indiana Fever may never be matched, and automatically comparing Bueckers to her feels unfair for the newly initiated Wings rookie. Like Clark, Bueckers will likely have to adjust to a learning curve with the W's 44-game regular-season schedule—though no one has told her that reality is coming yet.
It may be worth noting that none of the GMs who talked to Philippou have any concerns about Bueckers's ability to carry an organization, citing her as the kind of franchise-changing star who could potentially climb her way into the Hall of Fame.
But, maybe that's looking a little too far into the future. For now, Bueckers will prepare to kick off her WNBA season against the Minnesota Lynx on May 16.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as WNBA GMs Share Honest Takes on Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark Comparisons.
