Napheesa Collier predicts Paige Bueckers & JuJu Watkins to have Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese's effect on WNBA's next era

Modified Nov 08, 2024 21:48 GMT

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier sees similarities between Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins, two exciting NCAAW players, and Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year joined Paul George's podcast on Friday and shared her thoughts on the young duo.

Collier thinks the Bueckers-Watkins pair has a bright future and could be the next big rivalry in the league for many years. When George brought these names to the conversation and asked Collier about the future of the W, she said:

"I think it's so bright, just even the two that you mentioned are so fun to watch. They are really great talents," Collier said.

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"So bringing that obviously is going to improve the product more and more. Also, it was such an explosion this year, like a cult following these new rookies; those two specifically have the same thing, so bringing more eyes and more viewership to the W, growing the game in that way," the Minnesota star added.

"I think both of them are generational talents, honestly, so the talent that they're going to bring to the W is going to be super fun to watch," Collier said.

Bueckers and Watkins, however, aren't as close in age (23 and 19) as Clark and Reese (22 both), meaning that fans will need to wait to see this matchup in the W. Clark and Reese have been competing against each other for a while now and their future looks incredibly promising. In contrast, the younger pair is expected to have notorious seasons in college.

Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins stats in the 2023-24 season

Paige Bueckers is considered the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. The Huskies guard averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 53.0% from the field in the 2023-24 season.

As for JuJu Watkins, the USC star has tallied 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 40.1% from the floor in 2023-24.

Some more young players can compete with these two future superstars, but just like Clark and Reese, Bueckers and Watkins are expected to lead a group of players that would bring more exposure to the WNBA.

The competition broke viewership and attendance records almost every week last season, mostly thanks to Clark and Reese. If talents like Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins keep coming and the league's level keeps improving, the W could compete against other major American leagues.