Paige Bueckers Just Beat Caitlin Clark in One Major WNBA GM Survey Question

Paige Bueckers Just Beat Caitlin Clark in One Major WNBA GM Survey Question originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The WNBA’s future is loaded with star power, but general managers have a new favorite player to build around.

In the 2026 WNBA GM Survey , Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers was voted the No. 1 player GMs would sign if they were starting a franchise today. Bueckers received 33 percent of the vote, finishing ahead of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, who tied for second at 20 percent.

That’s a notable shift from last year’s survey, when Clark led the same category with 50 percent of the vote. Why WNBA GMs picked Paige Bueckers over Caitlin Clark This does not mean Clark has fallen out of the WNBA’s elite tier. She still received votes as a franchise-building player, finished second to Chelsea Gray in the “best point guard” category and was one of the few players mentioned in the MVP race.

But the survey shows how quickly Bueckers’ stock has climbed entering her second WNBA season. Bueckers’ case is easy to understand: She gives Dallas a true franchise centerpiece. She can score, create and play off the ball.