Wings' Paige Bueckers Says Fever's Caitlin Clark Faces 'Unfair' Expectations

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers believes Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is facing unfairly lofty expectations.

As Bueckers' Wings prepare to take on the Fever on Friday night, Bueckers was asked about the media following of Clark. She said that the expectations can be "inhumane" sometimes and that Clark handles the noise well.

"She handles it with grace," Bueckers said. "The pressure that she is put on every single night to perform at the level that she does is inhumane really. To expect people to be perfect every night and 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 but I'm sure she has a great team around her and great people to help her."

Clark was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft after a sensational career at Iowa. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 40 games for the Fever in her first season and won the league's Rookie of the Year award. She has continued to play well this season, averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and five rebounds in nine games.

Bueckers was this year's top pick after a terrific career at UConn. She has averaged 17.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 12 games so far in her rookie season.

The Wings and Fever are scheduled to play on Friday in Texas, with Dallas entering the game at 4-12 while Indiana is 7-7.

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It's unclear if there will be a Buckers-Clark showdown, as the Fever star is currently dealing with a groin injury, which will leave her sidelined for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Sparks.