{"id":13846,"date":"2025-06-25T15:33:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/13846\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T15:33:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:33:10","slug":"with-fever-wings-matchup-looming-whats-the-history-between-caitlin-clark-and-paige-bueckers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/13846\/","title":{"rendered":"With Fever-Wings matchup looming, what\u2019s the history between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you want to sell out an arena, having Paige Bueckers<\/a> and Caitlin Clark face off is a pretty good way to do so.<\/p>\n

That fact has been well exemplified in college when both the two\u2019s game in the 2024 Final Four was sold out at the Cleveland Cavaliers\u2019 arena, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.<\/p>\n

You could also look to the Indiana Fever\u2019s visit to College Park Center<\/a> on Friday to take on the Dallas Wings<\/a> and that being sold out before the WNBA season even started<\/a> back in late-April. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to say the interest is there, but what is the history between Clark and Bueckers? Below is the history between the two budding American basketball stars.<\/p>\n

Sports Roundup<\/p>\n

Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis and opinion delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, Kevin Sherrington’s A La Carte.<\/p>\n

Team USA<\/p>\n

No, the two sharing a basketball court doesn\u2019t start with a game between Iowa and UConn. It actually tracks all the way back to their time with Team USA.<\/p>\n

Bueckers and Clark were teammates once upon a time for the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women\u2019s Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. The team also included the likes of former TCU star and current Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith, the Fever\u2019s Aliyah Boston, Los Angeles Sparks\u2019 Cameron Brink and the Atlanta Dream\u2019s Rhyne Howard. <\/p>\n

Bueckers was the leading scorer with 19 points in Team USA\u2019s win over Australia in the final. Bueckers would go on to win the tournament MVP. <\/p>\n

Both were just 17 years old at the time and highly touted recruits in their respective states of Minnesota and Iowa.<\/p>\n

2021 Sweet Sixteen<\/p>\n

The first time Bueckers and Clark met in college was in the 2021 NCAA tournament. A No. 1-seeded UConn matched up with a No. 5 Iowa at the Alamodome in San Antonio.<\/p>\n

\"UConnUConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) and Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) walk off the court after their college basketball game in the Sweet Sixteen round of the women’s NCAA tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Saturday, March 27, 2021.(Eric Gay \/ AP)<\/p>\n

UConn jumped out to a 14-point lead at halftime and would never look back, as the Huskies beat Clark\u2019s Iowa 92-72. Clark was Iowa\u2019s leading scorer on the evening with 21 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Bueckers nearly had a triple-double with 18 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds.<\/p>\n

UConn and Bueckers would go on to advance to the program\u2019s 21st Final Four just a few days later.<\/p>\n

2024 Final Four<\/p>\n

By the time Bueckers and Clark met again on the hardwood, a lifetime of changes had happened for the duo. <\/p>\n

Not only had Bueckers torn her ACL, undergone surgery and returned to lead her team to yet another Final Four appearance, but Clark had blossomed into a full-blown sports sensation, regularly selling out arenas, drawing comparisons to Stephen Curry and leading her Iowa team to nearly the mountain top of college sports in a national title game showing.<\/p>\n

\"UConnUConn guard Paige Bueckers, center, drives between Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke, left, and guard Gabbie Marshall, right, during the first half of a Final Four college basketball game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Cleveland.(Morry Gash \/ AP)<\/p>\n

This time, the roles were reversed from the two\u2019s first matchup in the 2021 tournament, with Clark\u2019s Iowa serving as the favorite and being the No. 1 seed and Bueckers\u2019 UConn playing the underdog role, being a No. 3 seed.<\/p>\n

In the national semifinal in Cleveland, the two teams played a classic with back and frequency lead exchanges and Iowa ultimately coming out on top 71-69 and Clark helping the Hawkeyes to the program\u2019s second-ever national title game appearance. <\/p>\n

Bueckers totaled 17 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Clark racked up 21 points, 7 assists and 9 rebounds on the evening. <\/p>\n

2025 WNBA regular season<\/p>\n

Friday will mark the first time the two star guards will meet as professionals.<\/p>\n

Clark is averaging 19.8 points, 8.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds a game for the 7-7 Indiana Fever squad that\u2019s coming off a 94-86 win over the Storm at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.<\/p>\n

Bueckers is averaging 18.2 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game for a 4-12 Dallas Wings squad that\u2019s won three of their last four games, including a recent 68-55 victory over the Atlanta Dream at College Park Center in Arlington.<\/p>\n