Iowa's Caitlin Clark leads WNBA guard revolution alongside Bueckers, Miles
By John Damon
The WNBA is undergoing a positional shift, and at the center of it is a trio of young guards including Iowa native Caitlin Clark. Clark, along with Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles, is reshaping the league's hierarchy away from the dominant forwards who have ruled for over a decade.
Clark, the former University of Iowa superstar drafted No. 1 overall in 2024, is the lead guard for the Indiana Fever. She currently ranks second in the league in assists (8.1 per game), fifth in scoring (21.6 points per game), and is tied for fifth in three-pointers made (2.7 per game). Her offensive impact has helped the Fever post a 114.6 offensive rating, rivaling the historic 2023 Las Vegas Aces.
But Clark's influence extends beyond the stat sheet. She has become a cultural phenomenon, drawing massive audiences to WNBA games. Her logo three-pointers and court vision captivated fans at Iowa, and that star power has only grown in the pros.
This guard-driven evolution is a departure from recent WNBA history. Since Diana Taurasi won MVP in 2009, no true backcourt guard has claimed the league's top individual honor. The award has instead gone to forwards like Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, and Napheesa Collier.
Are Clark, Bueckers, and Miles the new face of the WNBA?
Many analysts believe this trio is poised to break that drought. Clark, Bueckers (2025 No. 1 pick), and Miles (2026 No. 2 pick) have all entered the league within the past three seasons and are already making their mark.
Bueckers, now with the Dallas Wings, is the league's third most efficient guard averaging over 30 minutes per game, shooting 50.6 percent from the field. She averages 20 points and 5.7 assists per game. Earlier this season, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points and 250 assists.
Miles, the presumptive Rookie of the Year for the Minnesota Lynx, averages 20 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. She is shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range on 3.9 attempts per game. Her flashy style — no-look passes, between-the-legs dishes — has drawn comparisons to NBA stars.
What do WNBA insiders say about this guard revolution?
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who also coached Team USA, sees this as a natural cycle rather than a permanent shift.
“I don't think there's any shifting. I think there's just the cyclical nature of the guard play that we haven't had in terms of the lead guard position. USA Basketball went through a void... and now there's these high-level guards that are permanent solutions, and there's more of them.”
Seattle Storm center Stefanie Dolson compared the change to the NBA's spaced-out era sparked by Stephen Curry.
“Maybe the way that Steph Curry changed the NBA. I do think it is maybe changing the way that the game is played, where it was used to be geared more towards the post, where now it's geared more towards the guards and like playing pick-and-roll, playing off of the guard.”
Storm head coach Noelle Quinn emphasized balance over trends.
“We've seen dominant guards, we've seen dominant bigs in the same eras, in different eras. I think if you have the best player on the floor in any given night, you're giving yourself a good chance to be successful.”
How has Clark's stardom changed the WNBA?
Clark's rise has brought unprecedented attention to the league. Her every move is scrutinized on social media, a level of exposure WNBA players rarely experienced before. Fever head coach Stephanie White noted that this is not new behavior, but the visibility is.
“This is not new. This is not a new thing. It's just new because everything she does gets clicks. That's how everybody makes money.”
This dynamic mirrors what male athletes have long faced, but it is new for the WNBA. The league's increased television coverage and NIL-era college stardom have amplified Clark's profile.
What does this mean for Iowa fans?
For Iowa fans, Clark's success is a point of pride. Her journey from the Hawkeyes to the WNBA has been closely followed across the state. The guard revolution she leads is not just a national story but a local one, as her impact on and off the court continues to inspire a new generation of players.
The WNBA's golden age in the 2020s is defined by this balance between elite forwards and dynamic guards. Clark, Bueckers, and Miles are proving that the league's future is bright — and that the guard position is back in a big way.