Paige Bueckers Sends Supportive Message to Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark faced criticism last weekend during the Indiana Fever’s 100-84 loss to the Portland Fire after a sideline exchange with head coach Stephanie White went viral.
It was a frustrating afternoon overall for Indiana, but especially for Clark. The Fever star got into early foul trouble, scored just six points on one made field goal, and played only 21 minutes.
Following a brief back-and-forth with White, Clark was replaced by rookie Raven Johnson.
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While it’s completely normal for a coach and a star player to occasionally disagree during a game, Clark remains under a microscope nearly every time she takes the court. That level of attention often leads to criticism from fans and media alike, despite her massive popularity.
However, many have come to Clark’s defense, including fellow WNBA star Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings.
Bueckers told reporters that Clark handles the pressure and scrutiny “with grace.”
"I would just say she handles it with grace. And the pressure she's put under every single night to perform at the level that she does - it's inhumane, really. To expect people to be perfect and not have off games or off nights. If she doesn't go 8-for-10 from three, people are questioning things," Bueckers said.
The Wings star added that the expectations placed on Clark are unfair, while praising her ability to tune out outside noise.
"It's just unfair to have to deal with that. But I'm sure she has a great team around her and great people to help her. And I know she's a great person at dealing with it, tuning out the noise and continuing to be there for herself and for her team.
“But, I mean, the expectations - it's tough when you listen to it. I'm sure she has a great way of tuning it out."
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM.