A rookie sharing the court with a veteran, whom he/she grew up idolizing, is not something new. The match-up between WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi and wonder rookie Caitlin Clark has a lot of intriguing sub-plots. And even Clark is excited to play against the sharpshooting legend. Stephen A. Smith also joined the chorus of folks, who can’t wait to see the old guard take on the new wave.
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Since they are both top-notch long-range bombers, the ESPN analyst called the battle a must-watch affair. He reminded fans that before Clark began her WNBA career, Taurasi warned her about the rigors of the league.
Now the time has come for Clark to take on the Mercury legend. The 56-year-old compared their numbers and found eerie similarities, indicating that Taurasi hasn’t lost her shine, despite being twice as old as Clark.
He lauded the 42-year-old for walking the talk and continuing to shine despite reaching her 40s. While wishing that the two athletes defend each other during the game, on his The Stephen A. Smith, he said,
“Now only thing I ask for in this game, I hope they are guardin’ each other at least some of the time. I hope Caitlin Clark is guarding Diana Taurasi, I hope Diana Taurasi is guarding Caitlin Clark. I hope they are going right at each other. These are the kind of things that will elevate cache, the interest, intrigue in the WNBA.”
The fact that Smith is excited about a WNBA battle sums up the gravity of the match-up between Diana Taurasi and Caitlin Clark. Even CC is excited to play against her idol and is ready to impress the legend with her slick moves.
An exciting match-up!
Before the game, Desert Wave Media asked both athletes about their excitement levels. In her typical style, Taurasi briefly replied, “Yes, it’ll be fun.” Thus, she is looking forward to the highly-anticipated battle.
Meanwhile, Clark had a much more detailed response considering that Taurasi is her idol. She also touched upon how she feels going up against a great. Clark stated,
“That is somebody who I grew up idolizing and looking up to and want to be like one day. Obviously, she is one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, greatest scorer the game has ever seen. For me like I’m excited, that’s fun. That’s kinda like a dream come true.’’
Her thoughts perfectly encapsulate that she has grown up admiring WNBA legends. It proves that these greats paved the road for her ascension. As a result, despite a rigorous rookie campaign, she is over the moon facing off against some of the greatest hoopers in the world.
