"'They' don’t embrace her like 'they' do Caitlin Clark" - Michael Jordan's ex-teammate shades Paige Bueckers' ROTY moment with Cathy Engelbert

Etan Thomas shaded Paige Bueckers
Etan Thomas shaded Paige Bueckers' ROTY moment with Cathy Engelbert [Picture Credit: Getty]]

Michael Jordan's former teammate, Etan Thomas, alleged that a section of the WNBA had not accepted Paige Bueckers like Caitlin Clark. Bueckers won the Rookie of the Year award by a landslide, securing 70 of the 72 votes. But the former Washington Wizards player alleged a difference in acceptance between the two ROTY players.

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A post from "The Jennifer Hudson Show" posted a video of Bueckers being greeted by the show staff in the iconic "Spirit Tunnel" with a song, an iconic ritual to hype up the guest before appearing on the show.

As she danced through the tunnel, Bueckers was surprised by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert with the ROTY trophy.

"Bet I'm the last person you thought you'd see on this cool spirit tunnel," Engelbert said. "But I'm here to present you with the 2025 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. Congratulations!"
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Etan Thomas reposted the post with a sharp message. He also made a big claim about the Wings' rookie.

"I'm not even gonna ask anymore, we all know why "they" don’t embrace Paige Bueckers like "they" do Caitlin Clark. So I'll just say congratulations and Paige Bueckers is the truth."
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Thomas's comments were notable, especially how the Clark's fans reacted. The Fever star's fans alleged that Engelbert didn't put as much effort when Clark received the award. Clark got the news through a phone call from the WNBA Commissioner.

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Moreover, Paige Bueckers is also the third most followed WNBA player on Instagram, behind No. 2 Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese at the top.

Paige Bueckers drops a heartfelt message after ROTY campaign

Paige Bueckers' elite game was immediately apparent, as evidenced by her quick adjustment to the WNBA game. The Dallas Wings rookie led her team in points, assists and steals categories, giving an early hope for a great future for the Wings in her tenure.

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After winning the ROTY, Bueckers made a post, dedicated to her excellent rookie season, filled with gratitude and a long message.

"Thank you God for an amazing rookie year🙏🏼Process over results," she wrote. "Unconditional joy and gratitude, so much to be thankful for. Love my squad, they all deserve Teammates of the Year in my book, nothing is possible without them🤞🏼Now let’s keep on keeping on. Go wings!🪽"
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"Proverbs 16:9."
""The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps.""

In her historic rookie season, Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 36 games. Unfortunately, the Wings finished last in the 2025 season with a poor 10-34 record.

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Edited by Nandjee Ranjan
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