Friday night's Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings game at the American Airlines Center is going to be promoted by many as “Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers.” Is that fair? Probably not, as the two, despite both playing the guard position, feature different games. Nevertheless, Clark and Bueckers were both number one overall picks and happen to be two of the most popular players in the sport.

Clark has often been regarded as the most popular player in the WNBA. There is no denying her impact on the ratings, but Bueckers is also helping to drive attention to the league. Recent data that Vivid Seats shared with ClutchPoints supports that claim.

The average ticket prices on Vivid Seats for Friday's Fever-Wings game increased 15 percent when Paige Bueckers returned from concussion protocol in early June. Fans are also traveling an average of 241 miles for the game.

Another interesting note from Vivid Seats supports the Bueckers element as well. Last season, Clark and the Fever played the Wings multiple times. Their game in September received attention without question. However, the upcoming Fever-Wings clash is receiving “more than double the demand” than the 2024 contest in September.

It's not fair to only credit Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, however. Fever forward Aliyah Boston is also a former number one overall pick. Arike Ogunbowale has been the face of the Wings for years now.

With that being said, Bueckers is clearly driving even more attention to both this upcoming specific game and the league overall.

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Paige Bueckers' leadership is also becoming undeniable

The Wings rookie's popularity should not be ignored. Her leadership is also impressive at just 23 years old. In fact, Ogunbowale even credited Bueckers' leadership following Dallas' 68-55 win on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Dream.

“Obviously everybody knows Paige is elite,” Ogunbowale told reporters after the game. “She's very mature for her age. Especially being a point guard in this league is already tough, but being a rookie point guard is even tougher. I think she's been handling the pressure really well and just leading our team really well from the point guard position.”

It is not often that an established veteran gives leadership praise to a rookie. Yet, that is exactly what happened on Tuesday night. The comments speak to both Ogunbowale's humility and Bueckers' maturity. She clearly has Ogunbowale's respect, which is a promising sign for the Wings' future.