Former First Overall Picks Go Head to Head; Fever Pick Up Much-Needed Win
The first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, Caitlin Clark, and the 2025 top pick, Paige Bueckers, will face off for the first time as pros. This is one of the most anticipated games of the year, as their college matchups were always exciting to watch. This season, Clark is averaging 17 points and nine assists per game, while Bueckers is putting up 18 points and five assists per game. All eyes will be on the court today as two of the game’s brightest young stars go head-to-head.
The game started with a back-and-forth first quarter, and Indiana held a slim 28–27 lead after one. Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers each scored seven points in the opening period. Indiana dominated the second quarter; the Fever extended their lead to 12, eventually forcing a Dallas timeout with five minutes remaining. Indiana outscored Dallas 36–15 in the frame. By halftime, the Fever led 64–42, the most points scored by any team in a half this season. Natasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 13 points each, while Bueckers paced Dallas with 10 at the break.
Indiana opened the third quarter with a flurry of transition buckets, taking advantage of Dallas’ struggling defense and dictating the tempo. The Fever consistently found easy scoring opportunities, and by that point, five players had already reached double figures. Although Dallas outscored Indiana 21-20 in the third, they couldn’t trim the deficit to a manageable margin, trailing 84-63 heading into the fourth. With five minutes left in the game, Indiana pulled all of its starters, having maintained firm control throughout. Dallas never managed to mount a serious run. Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 20 points, while Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 21.
The Fever ultimately defeated the Wings by a final score of 102-83, securing a dominant win in the highly anticipated first matchup between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. Clark and the Fever controlled the game from the outset, setting the tone early and never allowing the Wings to close the gap. With this victory, Clark claimed the first head-to-head win against Bueckers in what could become one of the league’s most exciting individual rivalries. With the rematch set for August 1st, all eyes will be on Clark and Bueckers as the rivalry continues to take shape.
