When ESPN nine months ago ranked the all-time best rookie seasons in WNBA history, the site pegged Caitlin Clark as the No. 3 best rookie the league has seen, behind only Candace Parker (who was MVP in his rookie year) and Tamika Catchings. Wings star Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, has not quite been on Parker's level, or even that of Catchings. All this is to say that while Bueckers is not the transformative force that Clark is for the WNBA, she has just about as much chance to be a franchise cornerstone going forward for Dallas as Clark has for Indiana.