Paige Bueckers received 33% of the vote in the WNBA official annual GM survey. Bueckers' reaction came later, during a media scrum following team practice.

On May 6th, Myah Taylor shared a clip on X showing the 24-year-old reacting to the selection.

“Yeah, it’s really cool just to have that mutual respect amongst people who live in this area or live in this space and who really understand the game,” Paige Bueckers said during a press conference.

“And there are so many amazing basketball players to choose from. I feel like there are so many people I would choose to start my team with. So for them to think that highly of me, I’m very grateful, very blessed,” the Dallas Wings guard further added.

Even though Paige Bueckers topped this year’s voting, many fans may forget that last year, 50% of GMs chose Caitlin Clark for the same question. This was after her rookie season, in which she averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds while earning All-WNBA and All-Star honors.

But the conversation changed in 2025 after Clark played only 13 games because of multiple soft-tissue injuries.

Meanwhile, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in her rookie season on efficient shooting splits while also tying the rookie single-game scoring record with 44 points.

But even as fans turn the Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark debate into a full-blown rivalry, the two guards continue treating each other with nothing but respect.

Paige Bueckers Calls Caitlin Clark a “Generational Player”

From the moment Paige Bueckers entered the WNBA, fans naturally viewed her as Caitlin Clark’s biggest rival. But despite the constant comparisons, both players have spoken positively about each other.

“Me and Caitlin Clark have been competing against each other for a long time. I think the greatest way to show respect is to compete and really bring the best out of each other, and I feel like we do that when we’re competing against each other,” Paige Bueckers said.

As point guards from the same class, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have long been compared despite having very different styles, with Clark thriving on deep shooting and passing while Bueckers relies on her all-around scoring.

Still, Bueckers made it clear she has deep respect for Clark’s impact on the sport.

“I have great respect for her... She’s a generational player, and every time we take the floor and compete against each other, it’s always a great time,” she further said.

Now, the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever are set to clash in the season opener on May 9th. Dallas is building around Paige Bueckers by adding Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, and Azzi Fudd. At the same time, Indiana strengthened its core with Monique Billings and Myisha Hines-Allen.

Having said that, do you agree with WNBA GMs choosing Paige Bueckers over Caitlin Clark as the top franchise player?

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat