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Paige Bueckers is threatening one of Caitlin Clark's biggest WNBA crowns originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The first returns from 2026 WNBA All-Star voting delivered plenty of expected results. A'ja Wilson sits atop the leaderboard. Caitlin Clark is comfortably among the top vote-getters. Several established stars are positioned to earn starting spots in Chicago next month.
But one name may have produced the most fascinating storyline of all.
Paige Bueckers.
The Dallas Wings star ranks second overall in fan voting with 298,027 votes, trailing only Wilson and finishing ahead of some of the biggest names in women's basketball. Most notably, Bueckers currently sits ahead of Clark, who ranks fifth overall with 253,602 votes. It's an early voting update, but it highlights just how quickly Bueckers has become one of the WNBA's biggest stars.
For years, Clark and Bueckers have been linked together as two of the most recognizable players in the sport. Their college careers generated endless comparisons, debates and social media discussions. Now, both have become central figures in the WNBA's next generation of stars.
Paige Bueckers has become one of the WNBA's biggest attractions
Bueckers entered the league carrying enormous expectations. Few players in recent memory arrived with a bigger following. The former UConn star spent years performing on the biggest stages in college basketball and built one of the sport's most loyal fan bases before ever playing a professional game.
She's carried that momentum into the WNBA. Through the first part of the 2026 season, Bueckers ranks among the league leaders in both scoring and assists while helping elevate the Wings into one of the most intriguing teams in the league.
Her popularity is clearly extending beyond Dallas. The first All-Star voting returns suggest fans across the country are embracing Bueckers as one of the faces of the WNBA. Finishing second overall behind only Wilson is a significant achievement, especially considering the amount of star power throughout the league.
It's also a reminder that the WNBA's growing popularity isn't tied to a single player. The league's next generation has arrived.
Caitlin Clark remains the standard
None of this changes Clark's standing within the sport. The Indiana Fever guard remains one of the most influential athletes in North America and continues to drive unprecedented attention to the WNBA. Television ratings, attendance figures and merchandise sales have all benefited from her arrival.
Even with injuries limiting her availability at times this season, Clark still ranks fifth overall in fan voting and remains one of the favorites to start the All-Star Game. The Fever star is also putting together another elite campaign.
Clark is averaging more than 20 points per game and continues to rank among the league's best playmakers. She recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 250 points and 100 assists in a season.
Her popularity isn't going anywhere.
What the voting results reveal, however, is that other young stars are beginning to build similar momentum.
MORE: Caitlin Clark's latest post had Sophie Cunningham asking one question after Fever's record-setting win
A rivalry that could define the next decade
The most intriguing part of the voting update may be what it suggests about the future. Bueckers and Clark are likely to spend the next decade competing against one another for championships, awards and All-Star recognition. Both players are franchise cornerstones. Both have passionate fan bases. Both continue to elevate the sport every time they step on the floor.
The first voting returns won't determine who becomes the bigger star. But they do show that Bueckers is rapidly closing the gap. For a league that has spent years searching for marketable young stars, that's excellent news.
Clark helped launch a new era of WNBA popularity.
Bueckers appears ready to help carry it forward.
More WNBA news:
- Caitlin Clark may have just dropped the biggest clue yet about her Nike signature shoe
- Caitlin Clark was already making headlines before the Fever even tipped off
- Cameron Brink turns heads with stylish arrival before Sparks-Valkyries matchup
- Cameron Brink had fans buzzing before tipoff with unexpected pregame talent
- Caitlin Clark's latest post had Sophie Cunningham asking one question after Fever's record-setting win
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