Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers put on a show in their latest WNBA matchup, with both stars finishing with 29 points. But while the Dallas Wings star made plenty of headlines of her own, it was Clark who, as expected, walked away with the stronger endorsement from Skip Bayless.
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Reacting to the Indiana Fever’s Friday 98-87 victory, Bayless argued that Clark had “outplayed Paige,” highlighting her superior shooting, 10 assists, and ability to return from an ankle scare and dominate the second half.
“Wings down 2 starters but Caitlin outplayed Paige. Each had 29, but Caitlin shot it better and had 10 assists – an MVP-caliber performance after turning her ankle late first half,” Bayless posted on X after the game.
Skip Bayless is known for his staunch defense and high praise of Caitlin Clark. And he never ceases to miss an opportunity to spotlight her performance whenever she puts together a brilliant display. Of course, this time, Clark did exactly that. She contributed 29 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and one steal to the Fever victory.
Caitlin Clark’s production was especially remarkable given how efficiently she shot the ball. The Fever star converted 61.1% of her field goals, going 11-for-18, and 90.0% of her two-point attempts, missing just one of her 10 shots from inside the arc. Her efficiency stood well above Bueckers’ 52.4% field-goal and 60% two-point shooting.
What made it even more impressive was that Caitlin Clark suffered an injury scare right before halftime, twisting her left ankle. The Fever guard briefly exited to the locker room. She returned in the second half and dominated the third quarter, scoring 17 of her 29 points in that 10-minute period. With her 10 assists, she also officially became the fastest player in WNBA history, and the fastest WNBA or NBA player this century, to reach 700 career assists.
Paige Bueckers once again was crucial for the Wings. Even with key starters like Azzi Fudd and Jessica Shepard sidelined by injuries, Bueckers finished with 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
She even reached a milestone, as she now holds the second-most 25/5/5 games in a season by a WNBA point guard. It was her sixth game this season recording that stat line, and that places her behind Clark, who holds the record. Caitlin Clark herself praised the Wings’ star after the game.
“Paige is a tremendous player. She takes what the defense gives her; she doesn’t force anything; she’s smooth; she finds the open teammate. So she’s just a really tough guard,” she told the media after the game.
Overall, both Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have been putting together impressive performances for their respective teams this season. Clark is currently averaging 21.9 points, 8.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Bueckers is posting 20.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. With numbers like these, it’s entirely fair to say that both have firmly established themselves in the WNBA MVP conversation.