In another eagerly awaited match on Sunday, WNBA newcomer Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and star Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury took the court for the first time. When Taurasi predicted that “reality was coming” for Clark, a professional basketball player who was still competing for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA Tournament at the time, back in April, it made headlines.
In essence, Taurasi was implying that even though Clark had a great career in college, she would revert to being a rookie in the professional ranks. However, Taurasi was questioned about Clark’s influence on women’s basketball during Sunday’s game, in which Clark’s Fever defeated Taurasi’s Mercury 88–82. The three-time WNBA champion had a sophisticated response. It’s incredible. Caitlin has accomplished nothing short of extraordinary in her brief career thus far.
She is one of my favorite things about her—she is an avid gamer. She clearly put forth a lot of work.” “Despite a lot of pressure and obstacles being thrown at her over her brief career, she has persevered and improved with each passing game. Thus, she has a very promising future.” That’s high praise indeed, especially from Taurasi, a WNBA veteran of 21 years. The Mercury star may have shown Clark some tough love in the press back in April, but this exchange between the two WNBA players during a lull in the action shows that there was nothing but respect between them during the Fever-Mercury game. Without a doubt, Clark has a bright future. However, the rookie for the Fever is also having a fantastic day. He finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists, falling just one rebound short of becoming the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double. Furthermore, Clark seems to have gained the admiration of one of the greatest female basketball players of all time.