Paige Bueckers tells Caitlin Clark to “Calm Down” while everyone says they hate each other
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers’ rivalry reached a fiery moment after a heated exchange during the Fever-Wings matchup.
The play occurred in the final seconds of the second quarter. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Clark had possession and the Wings had a foul to give in order to stop the clock. Bueckers , who was defending Indiana’s star, decided to grab her left arm to commit the foul.
Caitlin Clark clearly did not take the action well. While Paige Bueckers maintained contact to ensure the foul was called, the Fever guard reacted angrily and then threw the ball toward the other end of the court, passing close to the Dallas player’s head.
Clark’s frustration continued for several seconds until Bueckers gestured for her to “calm down.” Ultimately, the incident resulted in a personal foul on the Wings guard and did not escalate further.
However, the moment quickly sparked discussion among women’s basketball fans , as it involved two of the biggest stars of the WNBA’s new generation.
Despite the exchange, both players have maintained a mutual respect. Their rivalry dates back to their college days, when they were already considered two of the sport’s top young prospects.
Caitlin Clark had previously praised Paige Bueckers
The Fever and Wings had faced each other just days earlier, on August 14 , in a matchup where both stars shined: Clark and Bueckers each scored 29 points in Indiana’s 98-87 victory.
After that game, Clark praised her opponent’s talent and acknowledged how difficult she is to defend.
“Obviously, she’s an incredible player. She makes it really hard on us defensively... Paige is a tremendous player. She takes what the defense gives her; she doesn’t force anything; she’s smooth; she finds the open teammate. So she’s just a really tough guard.”
Both stars are expected to be asked about the incident, although everything points to it being a product of the intensity of the game. Additionally, they will share the United States jersey at next month’s FIBA World Cup , where they can channel that competitive fire into a strength as teammates.
