Through four years just before the pandemic hit, two names engulfed the women’s basketball high school space. Career-high 43 points, Player of the Year honors, unbeaten record to State title– it rained baskets in Minnesota thanks to Paige Bueckers. On the other end, Iowa would witness a similar scenario unfold as Caitlin Clark dropped 60 points, averaged 33, and earned her Player of the Year honors. The class of 2020 was poised to be the best in a while. But if you ask Sue Bird, one player did it better and she has a word to separate her from the lot.

Speaking to GQ, the Seattle Storm icon spoke of the impact Paige Bueckers has had since even before she made it to UConn. For her, the 2021 NPOY of was practically “anointed.”

Paige Bueckers entered just as hoops enthusiasts awaited the next superstar following Sabrina Ionescu’s successful Oregon run. Having led her high school to back-to-back undefeated seasons (62-0), the no.1 prospect couldn’t have made a better case. In 2020, she was Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, a Morgan Wootten Player of the Year, and a three-time Gatorade POY. With averages of 21.4 points, 9.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.4 steals in her senior year, ESPN ranked her no.1 while Clark would sit at no.4.

So when Bird says, “I really don’t know that there’s been another player that had the following and attention that she had coming out of high school,” she isn’t all wrong. But this is not to say the WNBA 2024 ROTY’s impact is lost on the 4x champion. 

This week on #GQHype: Paige Bueckers

“The fire was going. It was burning. And it was burning brighter… but Caitlin came, and she poured gasoline all over that thing and just took it to another level,” she acknowledged on her podcast after Clark’s TIME magazine honor. “Suddenly there was this college girl with her signature logo threes. And the pure way she played the game demanded respect.”

So Bird has had her praise and respect for Caitlin Clark, but speaking of high school prominence, she rightly lends her flowers to Bueckers. Predicted to be the next big thing of UConn dynasty, the 23-year-old made quite the noise in her freshman year, becoming the first freshman to win the National Player of the Year honors. Though setbacks have plagued what could have been a glorious run, Bueckers continues to take in what she gets. 

Paige Bueckers lives by one motto as she navigates pressure

The Paige Bueckers impact has been evident in the millions that tune in to watch her and the little girls who adorn “Paige braids” to imitate her on court look. There’s a reason why.

Bueckers has returned from injuries including ACL tear time and again to not only become a unanimous All-American for the second time but also lead her team to Final Four thrice. She has been one of the bests the program has ever seen, Auriemma agrees. But with it comes expectations and pressure. “If, for whatever reason, we don’t win a national championship this year, she’ll feel like, ‘I’m the best player to ever play at Connecticut that didn’t win a national championship,'” he had said.

If you ask Bueckers how she copes with that, she will have just one answer: It’s being present.

“The past can’t hurt you, and the future can’t assist you,” she said. That mindset? That’s what makes her a powerful leader. But it is a need for Bueckers who has battled constant set backs and carries the weight of unattained championship title on her shoulders.

So Huskies stand out is bringing their everything this season. Averaging 18 points, Bueckers has remained healthy throughout the season, helping the Huskies sit 5th in national rankings and right atop in Big East. Just over a month to go and we will know how loud Sue Bird’s words resound.