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Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers Handshake in Fever-Dream Game Speaks Volumes originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers finally took center stage on Sunday as the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings in a highly anticipated matchup that saw two of the top young stars in the WNBA go toe-to-toe for the first time at the pro level.
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In the end, it was Clark and the Fever who prevailed with a dominant 102-83 victory to improve to 11-10 on the season. Clark logged a 14-point, 13-assist double-double, with three rebounds, five steals, a block and two triples as the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year played in her third game back following a two-week injury spell.
The cameras caught Clark and Bueckers’ brief interaction right before tip-off as the two exchanged pleasantries ahead of what turned out to be a memorable first meeting for them at the WNBA level.
Clark and Bueckers’ pregame handshake was short and sweet. It is unclear if the two exchanged words, but there’s no denying that the moment speaks volumes about how both stars were locked in ahead of their much-anticipated clash. They both had their game faces on and were clearly ready to go to battle.
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Bueckers turned in a strong performance in this one as well, scoring a game-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, to go along with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two triples in 33 minutes of play. It was far from enough, though, as the Wings suffered another blowout loss to fall to 6-16 this season.
Clark made it clear before the game that there’s no animosity between her and Bueckers, sharing how they’ve “always been friends.” Bueckers, on the other hand, said after the matchup that it’s always “fun” whenever she gets to battle Clark on the court.
Either way, what can be said for sure is that Sunday was merely the first chapter of what should be a long and lasting WNBA rivalry between these two stars.
Related: Indiana Fever Announce New Franchise Record in Blowout Win Against Wings
Related: Fans Notice the Same Thing About Paige Bueckers Before Caitlin Clark, Fever Game
Related: Congratulations Pouring In For Fever Star Sophie Cunningham
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
