The woman they call Paige “buckets” Bueckers made her first appearance in a Dallas Wings uniform on Friday night in South Bend, Indiana. Bueckers, the Wings’ No. 1 overall draft pick in this spring’s WNBA draft, showed flashes of why she’s one of the most highly anticipated prospects in WNBA history.

Naturally, comparisons to last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark, are flying. The former Iowa superstar took the league by storm with a tremendous rookie season. But some fans are already noticing one big difference: how the league is defending Bueckers compared to how Clark was guarded in her debut.

The Paige Bueckers WNBA era begins now. The 2025 top overall pick and Dallas Wings rookie made her WNBA preseason debut on Friday night, putting up 10 points and four rebounds in a 112-78 loss against the Las Vegas Aces. Jackie Young (28 points, nine assists) and A'ja Wilson (19 points, seven boards) led the way for the Aces.