Kate Martin has the only right response to Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers choice

When Kate Martin appeared on We Need To Talk Now, host Alicia Jay asked her to bench, start, cut A’ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, and Caitlin Clark—a choice that would have immediately gone viral, no matter the order. 

Martin, who played with Clark in college and is currently teamed up with Bueckers in Unrivaled, only laughed and said, “I’m not doing that. You can’t get me caught up.”

She couldn’t have given a better answer, especially if she was trying to avoid upsetting fans all around the world. 

Clark vs. Bueckers will dominate the WNBA discourse for years to come

A’ja Wilson is the reigning WNBA MVP and DPOY, a four-time champion, a Finals MVP, and a five-time All-WNBA First Team member. Wilson led the WNBA in points and blocks per game for the second season in a row. She is the best player in the world right now, and Clark and Bueckers don’t even come close to her in terms of success in their pro careers. Starting Wilson would be an obvious choice, but even that wouldn’t sit well with some fans and social media users. 

The real trap in this question is making Martin choose between Clark and Bueckers, though. Both are phenomenal young guards early in their pro careers and two of the most popular athletes in the world. Cutting—or benching, even—either would upset millions of people all around the globe. 

Bueckers and Clark haven’t been in the WNBA long, but both made the All-WNBA First Team as rookies. They will only continue to get better on the court and grow their brands and fan bases off the court. Their competition will define the WNBA space for many, many years. 

Soon enough, they might even compete for championships and MVP awards against each other. The Fever already came close to making the finals last season, even though Clark was injured. Fans should expect the Fever to build another contender for the next season. The Wings are still far away from being a contender, but the upcoming free agency period is a unique opportunity to improve the roster. The front office already upgraded the head coaching position, bringing in a more experienced coach who is desperate to win. 

The better both teams get, the easier it will be for Clark and Bueckers to establish themselves as true MVP candidates and two of the top players in the league. 

It’s not all about competition, though. Bueckers and Clark will share the court with USA Basketball. They will get their first stint together on the senior national team in March when the team will travel to Puerto Rico for the World Cup Qualifying Tournament.