With 2026 right around the corner, WNBA fans are looking back at the league’s most viral moments of 2025. One highlight came when Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers finally squared off in their professional careers.
Their first meeting had to wait until the Fever’s second matchup with the Dallas Wings, as Clark was sidelined with a quad injury earlier in the season.
When the showdown finally happened, WNBA fans thought the battle leaned one way.
@Gameis_gameLFG pointed out, “CC had Paige in hell that game. read her like a book.”
CC had Paige in hell that game😭 read her like a book😤
— JMac | Ball Up | 🏀🏈 (@Gameis_gameLFG) December 29, 2025
@Lisac55458405C recalled, “The one where Caitlin forced 4 TOs on Paige while outplaying her in 10 less minutes played… yeah I remember.”
And @nsw43 brushed it Paige Bueckers off, saying, “And 22 was playing with two injured quads!”
Bueckers carried the Wings behind her back with her 21 points that game along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. However, Clark, despite only scoring 14, stole the ball from Bueckers and forced her to commit 4 turnovers in that match. Not to mention her 13 assists to cap off a double-double night against the 2025 WNBA No. 1 overall pick.
“Was she really instigating if she literally dropped 44 points later in the season?” WNBA fans react to Paige Bueckers’ encounter with Kelsey Plum
Another viral clip featured Paige Bueckers in a candid exchange with veteran Kelsey Plum after the Sparks’ 93-79 win over Dallas.
Bueckers gestured she could’ve guarded Plum’s jumper, prompting Plum to laugh: “I’ll remember this day… Rookies talking s**t is crazy. Their rookies are built different here.”
Was she really instigating in this scenario if she literally did what she said she would when she dropped 44 pts later in the season?
— Colin Conner (@truejt_6) December 30, 2025
The moment ranked sixth among the league’s most viral posts, and WNBA fans weighed in.
@truejt_6 said, “Was she really instigating in this scenario if she literally did what she said she would when she dropped 44 pts later in the season?”
@NoBanksNearby replied with: “Certified instigator? Checks out.”
And @paigebeckybaby summed it up by saying, “Love this duo/matchup.”
Though she missed their first meeting, Bueckers later proved her point with a 44‑point performance in their third clash — even if the Wings fell 81-80 at Crypto.com Arena.
For WNBA fans, 2025 was full of unforgettable battles and viral exchanges, with Clark and Bueckers at the center of it all.
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.
