"Inhumane" - Paige Bueckers lauds Caitlin Clark for thriving under immense pressure amid media & fan scrutiny

Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings are scheduled to face the Indiana Fever on Friday. The game will pit Caitlin Clark, the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, versus Bueckers, the first pick in 2025.

On Thursday, Buecker praised Clark for the way she has dealt with pressure, expectations and performed at an elite level.

"I would just say, she handles it with grace and the pressure that she’s put on every single night to perform at the level that she does, it’s inhumane really, to expect people to be perfect and to not have off games or off nights,” Bueckers told reporters. "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. I know she’s a great person at dealing with it."

Unlike Clark, Bueckers has been able to play her game without much media scrutiny. She is averaging 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game for the Wings.

The game between the Wings and the Fever will be highly anticipated. However, fans will hope that Clark recovers from the groin injury that will see her miss the Fever-Sparks game on Thursday.

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Paige Bueckers makes WNBA history, surpassing Caitlin Clark

Paige Bueckers became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 200 or more points and 50 or more assists. She achieved the milestone in just 11 games, surpassing Caitlin Clark, who did it in 12 games.

The record came in the Wings' 68-55 win on Tuesday against the Washington Mystics. Bueckers recorded 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

For the first time this season, the Wings won two consecutive games against the Connecticut Sun and Golden State Valkyries on May 20 and 17, respectively. They currently sit 12th on the WNBA overall standings with a 4-12 record.

Edited by Krutik Jain