Caitlin Clark has already arrived as the next face of the WNBA, but the 23-year-old still has shown respect to the greats that came before. When asked about her favorite matchup among her fellow Nike hoopers, Clark debated with herself before deciding on the legendary Diana Taurasi.
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Clark shared the admiration she has for the 11-time All-Star and lauded the premier level of play she has displayed for over 20 years. “[Taurasi’s] such an icon in our sport and has been in the game for so long. You know, getting to share the court with her was pretty fun,” Clark said.
The Indiana Fever star underlined her appreciation for Taurasi’s competitive fire, even as her opponent.
Clark may have been excited to match up against one of her basketball idols, but the All-Star point guard had no problem taking down Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury in each of their three showdowns. Clark nearly posted a triple-double in the Fever’s first matchup with the Mercury, but she only continued to improve each contest.
The former Iowa Hawkeye capped off their third and final matchup with a 29-point, 10 assists showing.
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Like many of the women’s basketball stars that came before her, Taurasi wasn’t exactly thrilled about Clark crashing onto the WNBA scene. The league has experienced more success in Clark’s one season than in any year prior, which clearly rubbed the 42-year-old the wrong way.
Diana Taurasi warned Caitlin Clark before her rookie season
Caitlin Clark may have dominated at the collegiate level, but a good portion of her WNBA peers didn’t believe her transcendent scoring and playmaking abilities would translate so quickly to the pros. Diana Taurasi was so confident that Clark would struggle early in her career that she issued a warning before the beginning of last season.
The Mercury icon had some blunt words regarding Clark’s arrival to the big leagues, none of which could be deemed as support or even tough love.
“Reality is coming,” Taurasi told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. “You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”
Reality did come, but instead of coming for Clark, it slapped Taurasi and the rest of the W in the face.
The rookie sensation had no problems dismantling Taurasi’s Mercury, nor was there a close second in last year’s Rookie of the Year race. Caitlin Clark has responded to her critics with her play on the court, rather than words, throughout the early portion of her career.
Considering how electric she was as a first-year guard, Clark’s play should be more than enough to quiet any doubters she may still have.
