But Bueckers' 800,000 fan votes smashed Clark's WNBA record of fan votes received by a rookie, as Clark finished with 700,735 last season. Both players can be attributed with helping grow the WNBA and the attention paid to the league, as both were stars in college that have carried that over to the WNBA.

Paige Bueckers is back and continuing to excel. The 2025 No. 1 pick made her return to the Dallas Wings lineup Thursday and helped guide her team to a 98-87 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Phoenix suffered its second loss in a row after its 84-81 defeat against the Las Vegas Aces. The Mercury will return to action on Monday as they host the Wings for their second consecutive game. It will be the third time they'll face each other this season.