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When the 2026 WNBA regular season schedule was released, one of the first things Indiana Fever fans and fans of the league in general noticed is that the Fever’s opener was against the Dallas Wings.
This created natural conversation around the idea that the league is trying to highlight matchups between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, perhaps in an attempt to create a rivalry of sorts when the two guards face off.
This concept was furthered by the release of Indiana’s preseason schedule on Monday. The Fever’s first exhibition contest, and first game of 2026 (assuming a CBA is agreed to), will come against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn on Saturday April 25. But then Indiana will host the Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday April 30—with the two teams running it back from the same venue to start the regular season just over a week later.
our preseason matchups are set 🏀
learn more & find select tickets available for purchase: https://t.co/fr7AF2HChj pic.twitter.com/dQptooDzL1
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) January 26, 2026
Surely there are logistical reasons for the scheduling, but it certainly stood out to see Clark and Bueckers’ teams will be squaring off to conclude Indiana’s preseason, which will only build anticipation for the game that counts on May 8.
Why a Clark vs Bueckers Rivalry Makes Sense
A healthy rivalry developing between Clark and Bueckers makes sense on several fronts.
First, the two ran close to parrallel paths in college, last meeting when Clark and Iowa defeated Bueckers and UConn in the Final Four in 2024.
Second, they are both guards. This means they will match up often on the floor and can actually settle things on the court.
So, fan debates around the two players is only natural and is generally based on basketball talk.
They really are not slick
They know what they want the money matchup to be https://t.co/jmYinQ1aLv
— CC Report From Anywhere (@cc22report) January 26, 2026
Of course, the two will also likely share the floor as teammates in 2026 as well, and could serve as the faces of USA Basketball going forward.
Bueckers discussed all these dynamics in a January 22 appearance on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast.
“So yeah. It’s crazy, everyone [has been] pitting me and Caitlin against each other for the longest time. And we’re cool, we’re friends. But again, it’s respect for the competition. So we understand that, and we understand how media works, and they want to pin two people against each other, and they’re supposed to hate each other,” she said.
“We all understand that, and it’s all in the love of the game. But at the same time, to have two fan bases that really hate each other to have to come together for a couple of months would be really fun. And so everybody would just have to get along for a little bit,” Bueckers added.
It’s seems clear Bueckers is aware there will be a lot of chatter around her and Clark one way or the other—starting in the WNBA preseason.
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