When the high school class of 2020 entered the college ranks, nobody could have predicted the kind of impact these players would have on women's basketball.
The group, headlined by Paige Bueckers, also featured players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Hailey Van Lith and Kamilla Cardoso, all of whom are either in the WNBA or destined to be picked in the first round next week.
While almost all of these players won a National Championship in college, only Clark and Reese were ever able to establish a real rivalry. Fans anticipated battles between Bueckers and Clark for class supremacy, but they never came to fruition due to a variety of factors.
The Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers rivalry could heat up in the WNBA
On Monday, the Dallas Wings will have the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and Bueckers will almost certainly hear her name called when they are on the clock. This would give fans the Clark vs. Bueckers rivalry that the college level never provided.
Clark and the Indiana Fever are slated to play against the Wings on four occasions this year. They'll face off for the first time on June 27 in Dallas, and they'll alternate locations until a late-season matchup in Indiana on August 12.
Bueckers should be running the show on day one for the Wings, which will allow her the opportunity to establish herself as one of the game's great young players alongside Clark. She'll have the help of Arika Ogunbowale like Clark had Kelsey Mitchell's help last season, but there is no doubt about who the go-to player would be for either franchise.
While these two great players were in college, UConn and Iowa only faced off on three occasions, and the first was a 2021 Sweet 16 matchup in which the Huskies dominated the Hawkeyes. But Bueckers did not get a chance to assert herself as she was outshined in the contest by Christyn Williams, Evina Westbrook and Aaliyah Edwards.
The second matchup between these two programs was a regular season bout in November 2022, and Bueckers was out with a torn ACL. UConn still emerged victorious despite a great performance from Clark, but the matchup left something to be desired without Bueckers.
Last year, the Huskies and Hawkeyes faced off in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, and Clark finally got the better of Bueckers. Though she did not lead Iowa in scoring, she still had a tremendous game, and Bueckers had an inefficient shooting night. All told, Clark had two great performances, but UConn beat her more often than she beat them.
Now, with both players expected to be healthy this season, the two iconic figures will have a chance to duke it out on four occasions. Given the scheduling in the WNBA, they will likely match these teams up at least four or five times every season until the two are no longer part of the franchise. With the lights even brighter and the stakes even higher, fans can only hope that this rivalry is a constant heavyweight bout, unlike it was in college.