Caitlin Clark surprise wins praise from unlikely source for bringing new fans to WNBA: We appreciate that..gaz (PO)

The Indiana Fever star has been credited with expanding the league’s fanbase

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ot everyone has been convinced Caitlin Clark deserves such acclaim for her achievements in her rookie season, but Page Bueckers is thinking about the big picture.

While the Indiana Fever star has endured a rough ride on her introduction to professional women’s basketball, it seems she is finally settled in as part of the Fever.

The 22-year-old is regularly putting up decent numbers for her team, averaging 16.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game while converting 34.6 percent of 3-pointers in her first season.

But her overall appeal has brought thousands of new fans to the game and UConn guard Bueckers – a former college rival of Clark’s – can only see that as a positive factor for the WNBA.

“Caitlin has brought so many new eyes to the game, and we appreciate that,” Bueckers said on Friday to reporters. “When people tune in to watch her, they leave the game fans of so many more.”

It’s not just Clark who has caught her eye. Angel Reese, the No.7 overall pick, has thrived at Chicago Sky, while Cameron Brink and Kamilla Cardoso also made a big switch in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

“I think it’s just a high level of basketball,” Bueckers said. “I think a lot of new eyes are watching, and they’re impressed with the level of talent, and impressed with the level of physicality. That’s kind of what the league has been.”

Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers’ rivalry

Clark has put herself in contention as a likely All-Star and the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year award, and that’s no surprise given how she performed in the NCAA with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The 22-year-old set the record as the all-time points scorer in college basketball, replacing Kelsey Plum at the top.

She shared the 2020 class with Bueckers, who starred alongside Reese, Brink and Cardoso, with the Huskies guard the top overall player coming out of high school that season.

The Hopkins native was phenomenal in her return from an ACL tear last season, notching First Team All-American honors by posting 21.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Bueckers and Clark battled one another in the 2024 Final Four, with Iowa narrowly sealing a 71-69 win over UConn in the end.