Caitlin Clark outsold LeBron James. Caitlin Clark outsold Luka Doncic. Caitlin Clark outsold everyone across the NBA and WNBA—except Steph Curry!! Let that sink in. A rookie in her first W season outselling the faces of basketball. This is historic. And while it’s jaw-dropping, after seeing what Clark’s done over the past year, you probably nodded like, “Yes, saw that coming.” Still, in a league as globally massive as the NBA, this is a win for women’s sports.

If you remember, the Clark jersey craze kicked off immediately after she was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever. Her jersey was gone in under an hour. Fans went wild. Fanatics themselves hadn’t seen anything like it—not in any sport. And it didn’t stop there. 

Now before Year 2 begins, she is officially the second-best-selling basketball jersey in the U.S. in 2024. LeBron came in at fifth and Luka tenth. And if we’re just talking W? Clark was followed by Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, Kate Martin, and A’ja Wilson. Three rookies in the top 5. 

And the next year looks better. Analyst Rachel DeMita threw a bold prediction into the mix: “I think the top five jersey sales this year in the WNBA are going to be either rookies or sophomores.” Even called out Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers as locks for that top tier. She also reminded how Martin was there too and now she will be one of the faces of Golden State. This is even a better scenario.

According to her, “They have the fans behind them… I think they’re going to break records.”  This good news adds to CC celebrating her second anniverssary with longtime boyfriend Connor McCaffery. She shared a wholesome post that had fans swooning, captioning it, “Another year with my favorite person 🙂 I’m so thankful for you 🖤🖤.” She also dropped two black-and-white snaps with McCaffery. Sweet. 

Now, coming back to the future jersey sales…look, based on what we’ve seen, Demita might be on to something. By the 2024 WNBA All-Star break, player-specific merch sales had jumped 1,000% compared to the year before. And sure, Clark was leading that charge, but Angel Reese was right behind her, grabbing the league’s second-highest merch sales. Moreover, the younger generation’s social media activity (leading to more followers) contributes to their popularity. 

And now, enter the 2025 rookie class. Paige Bueckers just went No. 1 to the Dallas Wings, and her jersey is already flying off the shelves. She’s got her own fan army, her own hype train. Other rookies are no less and have their own fandom, which will surely follow to the pros. But the former UConn star is particularly presumed to be coming for Clark’s spot in more ways than one. Whether it’s on the court or in the merch race, it’s clear that this is only the beginning of what could be the rivalry of the decade.

But, while the two will be compared forever, their influence paired together will do wonders for W’s economic growth.  We’ll see who sells more jersey this time- Clark or Bueckers. But that’s the only record they’re fighting for. 

Paige Bueckers vs Caitlin Clark: The highest-scoring duo battle 

One year after testing out a trio of Odyssey Sims, Sevgi Uzun, and Jacy Sheldon beside Arike Ogunbowale, the Dallas Wings decided to go big and brought Bueckers. Arike, who led all guards last year with 22.2 points per game, now pairs up with Miss Buckets, who averaged 19.9 PPG at UConn. 

Add that up, and you’re looking at a 42-point-per-night duo. But it’s never that easy. Paige is another high-usage guard. So naturally, Arike might see a slight dip in volume. And we’ve been here before. Back in 2022, when Dallas added more ball handlers, Arike’s average dipped to 19.7. She shot better, but didn’t score as much. 

So while Paige might help the Wings become more efficient, it could come at the cost of Arike’s monster numbers. Meanwhile, there’s competition brewing in Indiana. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were cooking last year. Both dropped 19.2 PPG, and they were efficient with it. But this season, the Fever added vets like DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard this offseason, which boosts the team’s ceiling—but also spreads the ball around more. Fewer shots for Mitchell could mean Clark’s usage goes even higher.

But Fever holds an edge as Clark and Mitchell already have chemistry. They know how to share the floor. Meanwhile, Paige and Arike will be figuring it out for the first time. Plus, Clark is battle-tested.  Meanwhile, Paige is a baller, no doubt. But going from college stardom to the pro grind is a major leap. Matching her college average right away will be  a tall order.

So who’s winning this race? Well, we can’t say anything. Let’s wait for the season to unfold.