The 2025–26 WNBA season has already wrapped for both Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, yet the debate between the two rookies hasn’t slowed down.
Clark’s year ended early with a groin injury, cutting short her playoff run with the Indiana Fever. Bueckers, meanwhile, carried the Dallas Wings but couldn’t lift them into postseason contention.
When the Rookie of the Year voting came in, Paige Bueckers won in a landslide, taking 70 of 72 votes. Still, not everyone believes she’s been celebrated the same way Clark was last year.
During her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Bueckers walked through the show’s famous “Spirit Tunnel,” only to be met by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert holding the ROTY trophy.
“Bet I’m the last person you thought you’d see on this cool spirit tunnel,” Engelbert said. “But I’m here to present you with the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. Congratulations!”
Former NBA player Etan Thomas shared the clip, congratulating Bueckers while taking aim at how the league promotes its stars.
“I’m not even gonna ask anymore, we all know why ‘they’ don’t embrace Paige Bueckers like ‘they’ do Caitlin Clark. So I’ll just say congratulations and Paige Bueckers is the truth,” Thomas posted.
I’m not even gonna ask anymore, we all know why “they” don’t embrace Paige Bueckers like “they” do Caitlin Clark. So I’ll just say congratulations and Paige Bueckers is the truth https://t.co/iVAkOuR816
— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) September 16, 2025
The jab came off as less about Bueckers and more directed at Engelbert. Fans quickly pointed out that when Clark won ROTY in 2024, she learned through a phone call rather than a big surprise moment.
Beyond the hardware, Bueckers is also climbing in popularity. She now sits as the WNBA’s third-most-followed player on Instagram, trailing only Clark and Angel Reese.
“Gainbridge was LOUD”: Cheerleader Clark ecstatic after Indiana Fever win
While debates about favoritism swirl, Caitlin Clark’s focus remains on the Fever.
Indiana forced a winner-take-all Game 3 after beating the Atlanta Dream, 77–60, in front of a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd on Tuesday. Clark, sidelined but in the building, soaked up the atmosphere and cheered every moment.
“Shoutout the fans!!! Gainbridge was LOUD!” she posted, adding three heart emojis.
shoutout the fans ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ro4NBalNGx
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 17, 2025
She also reshared Lexie Hull’s buzzer-beater from the third quarter that sent the arena into chaos. Even on the sidelines, Clark couldn’t help but leap in celebration despite her injury.
“Can’t explain what I felt in this moment,” she wrote on X.
The Fever now head to Atlanta on Thursday for a decisive Game 3, with their star rookie watching, cheering, and keeping the energy alive.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
