New stat adds fuel to Bueckers vs. Clark debate.
New Stat Confirms Paige Bueckers is Outperforming Caitlin Clark originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
While Caitlin Clark's rise from college basketball superstar to face of the WNBA has been well documented, it hasn't taken long for another former collegiate legend to make her mark at the professional level.
Through her first 22 games with the Dallas Wings, Paige Bueckers has already put together a rookie season that few can rival, including becoming the fastest player in league history to reach 200 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists (11 games).
On Thursday, a new stat was revealed that drew a direct comparison between Bueckers and Clark.
This season, Bueckers is outpacing the Indiana Fever star in eight key categories: points per game (18.3 to 16.5), steals (1.8 to 1.6), blocks (0.6 to 0.5), turnovers (2.1 to 5.1), field‐goal percentage (45.2% to 36.7%), 3-point percentage (34.6% to 27.9%), free-throw percentage (85.2% to 82.0%) and true-shooting percentage (54.4% to 49.1%).
The numbers have since made waves, especially given Clark’s status as the league’s breakout star just a season ago.
Paige Bueckers is outperforming Caitlin Clark in:
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 31, 2025
• Points Per Game (PPG)
• Steals Per Game (SPG)
• Blocks Per Game (BPG)
• Turnovers (TOV)
• Field Goal % (FG%)
• Three-Point % (3PT%)
• Free Throw % (FT%)
• True Shooting % (TS%)
(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/xQ4IOYOgI4
Caitlin Clark’s Unprecedented Rookie WNBA Season
As the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark shattered expectations in her first professional season:
- 19.2 PPG, 8.4 APG (league-leading), 5.7 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 5.6 TO on 41.7 FG%, 34.4 3PT%, 90.6 FT%, 58.3 TS%.
- Set rookie marks with points (769), assists (337) and 3-pointers made (122).
- Recorded the first two rookie triple-doubles in WNBA history.
- Earned WNBA Rookie of the Year, All-WNBA First Team and an All-Star selection.
However, an injury this spring sidelined Clark for several contests, bringing some of her counting stats down from the torrid pace of last summer.
Head-to-Head: Rookie Clark vs. Rookie Bueckers
| Stat Category | Clark (2024) | Bueckers (2025) |
|---|---|---|
Points Per Game | 19.2 | 18.3 |
Assists Per Game | 8.4 | 5.5 |
Rebounds Per Game | 5.7 | 3.9 |
Steals Per Game | 1.3 | 1.8 |
Blocks Per Game | 0.7 | 0.6 |
Turnovers Per Game | 5.6 | 2.1 |
Field Goal % | 41.7% | 45.2% |
3-Point % | 34.4% | 34.6% |
Free Throw % | 90.6% | 85.2% |
True Shooting % | 58.3% | 54.4% |
Fans and analysts are quick to latch onto headline stats on social media, but after a further deep dive, Clark's rookie season may have been more well-rounded, surpassing Bueckers in points, assists and rebounds while finishing with a better True Shooting percentage.
The Fever also finished 20-20 last season, making the playoffs for the first time since 2016, something that the Wings will struggle to match (8-20 overall, seventh in Western Conference).
Nevertheless, as we enter the home stretch of the 2025 WNBA season, it's clear that Bueckers has lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick and has the potential to compare favorably against Clark's historic rookie campaign by season's end.
Related: Lexie Hull Shares Honest Take on Playing Without Caitlin Clark
Related: New DeWanna Bonner Update Emerges After Release From Indiana Fever
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
