Another thrilling WNBA season came to a close on Thursday night, and the stage is now officially set for the 2025 postseason—beginning this coming weekend across the Association.
While the W's most recent campaign was highlighted by MVP candidate Napheesa Collier's No. 1-seeded Lynx—and unfortunately marred by a season-ending injury to league lightning rod Caitlin Clark—the breakout star of the year was, once again, a rookie phenom. This time, it was Paige Bueckers.
The Wings star—who was selected No. 1 in the 2025 WNBA draft—finished her first season with a 24-point, eight-rebound, five-assist performance as Dallas won its final game of the year 97-76 over the Phoenix Mercury. Over 36 games played, Bueckers tallied the third-most points (692) and third-most assists (194) in a season by a rookie in WNBA history, and also scored the most points by a Wings rookie in franchise history. Impressive stuff.
Here's a closer look at her dominant rookie year:
Paige Bueckers Final Rookie Season Stats
Bueckers was a commanding presence in the Wings' backcourt from the jump this season, tallying 20 assists over her first three games before breaking out as a scorer in her fifth contest. Facing off against the Connecticut Sun, the 23-year-old notched her first 20+ point game while shooting a crisp 8-for-10 from the field.
From there? She was off to the races. In late August, Bueckers became the first rookie in WNBA history to notch a 40+ point game when she poured in 44 against the Las Vegas Aces. She also notched 20+ 17 times. Despite her team going just 10-34 on the season, it's clear Dallas has a budding star on its hands. Here's a full look at Bueckers' rookie year stats:
Given the impact Bueckers made on the WNBA at such a young age, it's certainly fair to compare her rookie season to Caitlin Clark's. Here's a look at the two campaigns, side-by-side:
Comparing Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark's Rookie Seasons
Unlike Bueckers', Clark started scoring early and often as a rookie in 2024, tallying 17+ points in four of her first five games. She also scored 20+ points 19 times, 30+ four times, and only failed to crack double digits one.
Additionally, specifically towards the backend of the year, Clark started to use her scoring presence to her advantage, and began dishing passes to her teammates. The then-22-year-old notched 10+ assists 12 times over 40 games, and ended up leading the entire WNBA on the season with 8.4 per game.
Here's how all of her numbers stack up to Bueckers':
Long story short? It's pretty a dead heat between the two young stars, and the WNBA has plenty to look forward to over the coming years.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Comparing Paige Bueckers' Dominant Rookie Season to Caitlin Clark's.