Paige Bueckers vs Caitlin Clark: How Do They Stack Up?

Assuming Caitlin Clark is back on the court tonight, she and Paige Bueckers will square off for their first matchup in the WNBA. But these two stars have been running alongside each other on parallel (and sometimes overlapping) tracks since their AAU days in the midwest. Zena, Ben, and Sabreena take a look at how the careers of these back-to-back #1 draft picks stack up – the similarities and the differences – and the roles they both play in the culture at large. Plus, they dive into the reasons why so many rookies are so pro-ready from the get-go. The crew also spends some time talking about DeWanna Bonner’s departure from the Indiana Fever – why it happened when it happened, what may have been going on behind the scenes, and where DB may land. 00:00 Intro 00:53 DeWanna Bonner waived by the Fever 7:15 What will it look like for DeWanna Bonner moving forward? 11:44 Where’s the best landing spot for DeWanna Bonner? 18:12 A recap of this week’s competitive games  23:38 Caitlin Clark’s late-game injury update 26:32 The shared history between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers 33:18 Caitlin’s rookie season vs. Paige’s rookie season 36:46 Why are rookies talking less time to adjust in the WNBA 42:05 A look at Paige and Caitlin’s global impact beyond basketball References: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6453482/2025/06/26/caitlin-clark-injury-fever-sparks/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6449382/2025/06/24/indiana-fever-exploring-trade-dewanna-bonner/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6449162/2025/06/25/3x3-womens-basketball-tournament-olympics-wnba/ #wnba #caitlinclark #rookies Thumbnail: Ethan Miller, Sam Hodde via Getty Images Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com. You can also find us on socials: -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1