Caitlin Clark’s Biggest Critic Sheryl Swoopes Remains Tight-Lipped on Paige Bueckers’ Controversial Decision

Whenever there’s a WNBA controversy, Sheryl Swoopes is often involved! This trend began in January when she appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ show and shared her opinions about Caitlin Clark. While discussing the then 22-year-old Iowa native, she criticized her, saying she was a 25-year-old beating up on young kids. As expected, Swoopes faced a lot of backlash after the interview aired.

Nearly a year has passed, and the WNBA is preparing for its next season with Paige Bueckers, who is projected as its top pick. Fans are now anticipating Swoopes’ comments on Bueckers, who is in her fifth year of eligibility. One fan on X remarked, “Sheryl Swoopes said Clark was a ’25-year-old playing against 20-year-olds’ when Clark was 21, so by Swoopes’ math, I think Sheryl is thinking Paige is a ~28-year-old playing against 20-year-olds.”

https://x.com/CC22_clark/status/1853773045980155969?t=xp5QiqVcaot-U-MbxJO8sQ&s=19

However, there’s an intriguing twist. While Swoopes has been critical of many, including Angel Reese and three-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Bueckers remains an exception.

Well, this isn’t an exaggeration. Here’s the proof: “I thought A’ja played well, but she wasn’t the A’ja that we’ve seen all season,” the retired four-time WNBA champ shared after Wilson contributed 19 points in Playoff Semifinals Game 4. She had similar thoughts about Reese when she just entered the WNBA: “There was no way I thought Angel was going to come into the league and be dominant, which she wasn’t,” she commented.

Yet, amidst her frequent criticisms, one standout—who has yet to join the WNBA—seems to be an exception. It’s Paige Bueckers. In February, while Swoopes was busy making controversial statements about Clark, the 2021 Naismith College Player of the Year made an intriguing announcement: she would use her fifth year of eligibility to continue playing with the Huskies for the 2024-25 season.

via Imago

Despite being projected as a top-three pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Huskies star chose to remain at UConn for a potential NCAA championship run. Many expected Swoopes to comment as her decision raised eyebrows, but she remained silent, sparking curiosity.

Why the silence? It seems Swoopes has a soft spot for Bueckers!

Speculation dates back to July, during Clark’s All-Star performance against Team USA at Footprint Center. As Clark hit the court, the 22-year-old Minnesota native supported her from the audience—and she wasn’t alone. Cameras captured Bueckers sitting courtside alongside Swoopes.

This was the second time Bueckers had been seen with the four-time WNBA champion, the first being at the All-Star Weekend Celebration. Fast-forward to now, with just two months left until the 2025 WNBA season, and Swoopes has finally broken her silence on Bueckers in a recent statement.

“Okay, for one moment, the retired player in me is so mad at me when I, and it’s a lot of these new arenas and locker rooms. But the photos that the Valkyries posted, I was like, dang, Paige Bueckers is gonna love this,” Swoopes shared on ‘Queens of the Court.’ As Bueckers is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming season, Swoopes’ statement makes more sense amid the league’s expansion.

This intriguing hint suggests that Bueckers might end up with the Valkyries. Well, Swoopes isn’t shooting an arrow blindly. Bueckers herself has hinted at joining the Valkyries. The hype kicked off after the reveal of the Valkyries’ color scheme. Adding fuel to the wildfire, Bueckers shared, “prettiest colorway ever.” Not just that, she continued to stir the pot by chatting about the Valkyries’ colors.

Does it now make more sense? While Swoopes did respond to Bueckers, her tone was entirely different from the one she often takes with Clark. Could Swoopes’ criticism be limited to players like Clark and the Fever rather than popular ones who might draw in more viewers? What do you think?