In the world of sports, nothing is more captivating than finding a new star. After the phenomenon that was Caitlin Clark unexpectedly suffered a season-ending injury, the media, especially ESPN, launched a frantic search for the “next Caitlin Clark.” Their sights were set on a promising name: Paige Bueckers. However, a recent incident exposed a brutal truth, showing that building a star is not an easy formula and that some players may not be prepared to face the true pressures of the league.

The story began with an unprecedented media wave. The media praised Paige Bueckers as a “gem,” and many even went so far as to declare that she might be even better than Caitlin Clark. These accolades created a immense amount of pressure on Bueckers’ shoulders. However, that bubble burst when she faced a relentless defense from the Seattle Storm.

According to a video analysis, the Seattle Storm had prepared a specific defensive strategy to neutralize Bueckers, a style of play that she had not faced before. Instead of letting her comfortably control the game, the Seattle players used physical play, rotated aggressively, and used multiple defenders to stop her from running basic plays. The result was a disastrous performance: Bueckers only made 2 of 11 shots and had zero assists. A “star” who had been widely praised had completely “crumbled” under the pressure.

This incident highlighted a shocking contrast between Bueckers and Clark. While Bueckers had a “meltdown” after just one game of aggressive defense, Caitlin Clark has been dealing with a similar, or even more brutal, style of play all season. Teams have been actively trying to hurt her with “cheap shots and dirty plays.” A chilling statistic proves this: Clark accounted for 17% of all flagrant fouls in the WNBA in 2024. This is a huge difference in standards. While Clark has had to fight in an environment full of hostility, Bueckers was reportedly “protected” by the league and the media to maintain her “golden girl” image.

However, this doesn’t diminish the impressive achievements of Paige Bueckers in her rookie season. Despite facing pressure and the absence of injured teammates, Bueckers handled the scoring load exceptionally well. She led all first-year players in scoring every month of the 2025 season, averaging 18.9 points per game, a number that ranks seventh all-time among WNBA rookies.

Furthermore, she has shown incredible efficiency, with the sixth-best field goal percentage among rookies who average at least 17 points per game. Bueckers is also on track to become one of only 12 rookies in league history to average five assists per game. Importantly, she could become only the second player ever, alongside Caitlin Clark, to average both 15 points and 5 assists per game in her rookie year. These numbers prove that she is an undeniably talented player with immense potential.

The video also provided an overview of Bueckers’ career, from her time as a top high school recruit to her successful college career at the University of Connecticut, where she won a national championship and became the first freshman to win National Player of the Year. She finished her UConn career with a school-record scoring average of 19.9 points per game, a truly impressive feat.

This incident serves as a warning to the media and the WNBA. Creating a “star” through promotional campaigns cannot replace the real challenges and pressures of a professional league. Paige Bueckers is a talented player, but she was pushed into a position where she was not ready to face the pressure that Clark has had to endure.

This also raises a big question for the WNBA: can they grow sustainably by creating protected stars, or should they focus on allowing players to face the challenges necessary to grow stronger? Ultimately, the story of Bueckers and Clark is not just about basketball; it’s about fairness, resilience, and how a league can treat its stars differently, and the consequences of that.