Hot takes are not an unusual thing for the internet. It’s kind of its thing. However, some hot takes go too far and must be addressed, like when a sports branding consultant recently claimed that UConn star Paige Bueckers was not a household name.
UConn’s Paige Bueckers suffered an ACL injury during the 2022-2023 season, but true to form (and head coach Geno Auriemma’s prediction), she’s back this season and playing lights out basketball as expected.
Her impressive play against ranked teams is turning heads (especially around WNBA evaluators) amid a season where UConn has dealt with several gut-wrenching injuries.
Paige Bueckers is putting on a show against ranked teams in UConn’s last four games 😲 pic.twitter.com/DxxJvKRt8t
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 4, 2024
So, it’s unsurprising that Jay “Chuck” Fields, a sports branding consultant, would be commenting, as many fans do, on women’s basketball and one of its biggest stars.
Paige Bueckers is not a household name like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clarke. Her on the court play this year is starting a spark that is gaining her new fame. Which by the way leads to new N.I.L opportunities. Her current N.I.L is not half that of Reese’s or Clarke’s. Disagree?
— Jay “Chuck” Fields (@thechuckfields) January 4, 2024
The problem is that Fields LOUDLY and INCORRECTLY said that Bueckers wasn’t a household name, alluding to the notion that she is not an Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark level of player. (By the way, if you’re going to insult someone, at least be grammatically correct.)
Women’s basketball fans responded (with the receipts!) and promptly roasted Fields. Please enjoy this content.
You must’ve just started watching women’s basketball. https://t.co/2fF6257VIQ pic.twitter.com/uCvJGUdB0B
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) January 5, 2024
Paige Bueckers was on the cover of Slam Magazine as a high school senior https://t.co/WDYc56MPok
— kayla dos (@kaylados) January 4, 2024
Paige Bueckers:
– cover of Sports Illustrated in high school
– in national championship freshman year, led UCONN in scoring
– ESPYs best college athlete in women’s sports (2021)
– AP/Naismith player of the year (2021)
– 1M IG followers
– among top NIL earners in college sports https://t.co/Bp1923nahj— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) January 5, 2024
This was in 2021, TWO YEARS before you and most of the country ever noticed Reese or Clark. https://t.co/Qfhs4fIAd8 pic.twitter.com/hxvbFoUlXl
— Zena Keita (@itszenakeita) January 5, 2024
Paige Bueckers missed one season and folks got real disrespectful 🤦🏾♀️ https://t.co/MJa40x1CYu
— Anraya 🏳️⚧️Defend Trans Joy🏳️⚧️ (@apalm_is_napalm) January 4, 2024
Who is Caitlin Clarke? If you can’t even spell the household name correctly who you are referring to, why should anything else you say be taken seriously? https://t.co/ofbC1ZlKLF
— Natalie Esquire 🇯🇲 (@natfluential) January 5, 2024
This is definitely one way to discourage people from getting "sPoRTs BRanDiNG" advice from you. pic.twitter.com/lnRpR35NoJ https://t.co/O7Npm8Lo5I
— not a household name's braids 🤪💕 (@pb5sbraids) January 5, 2024
IG Followers:
Paige: 1m
Caitlin: 828k
Angel: 2.6mYeah to say Paige isn’t a household name is simply uneducated and quite frankly ignorant.
Angel has elevated onto a different level, but Paige is a household name. https://t.co/WwhxzTaYm7
— Andrew Taylor (@andrewtaylor) January 4, 2024
crazy tweet when paige was pretty much in the same position caitlin is now before the injuries dd respectfully this is why men need to stop speaking on wbb especially if they know nothing before april 2023 https://t.co/KsZTw4Trd2
— ۟ (@aclassyteaparty) January 5, 2024
People will get on the internet and say literally anything. Just embarrassing yourself in front of everyone https://t.co/28Sik09UvP
— Meghan Bard (@meghanbard) January 4, 2024
Did that man see this tweet? Paige plays in Connecticut. This is in OMAHA, NEBRASKA – 1400 miles away.
Young girls literally wore her hairstyle to the game.
— Kim Adams (@_kimadams) January 5, 2024
Please do your research first https://t.co/Zoq6riYTfK pic.twitter.com/ee1vXwR9Ar
— summer Johnson (@summerJohn66230) January 5, 2024