Fans tried to incite a rivalry between rookie Caitlin Clark and veteran Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury before the rookie even set foot on a WNBA floor. A few people were offended by remarks the three-time league champion made earlier this year during an ESPN interview featuring Scott Van Pelt. But on Sunday, Taurasi was all respect and encouragement for Clark.
On Sunday, the Indiana Fever defeated the Mercury 88-82, with Clark just missing a triple-double by one rebound. Her final stats for the afternoon were nine rebounds, twelve assists, and fifteen points. Along with three rebounds and three assists, Taurasi scored 19 points.
Following the match, Taurasi gave Clark acclaim for her impressive rookie campaign. Regarding the Fever guard, her remarks were entirely positive.
“I mean, it’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far — just been nothing short of remarkable,” Taurasi stated. She is a gamer, which is the one thing about her that I truly adore. She has clearly put in a lot of work. Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks during her brief WNBA career, she has persevered and improved with each passing game.
“She has a very bright future. It’s really great to see that as a veteran and someone who has been in this league for a very long time, both now and in the future.”
Taurasi faced backlash in April for remarks he made about Clark’s entry into the league. Actually, as she moved from Iowa to Indiana, the former WNBA MVP was attempting to warn everyone that there would be a learning curve.
“Observe, SVP—reality is approaching. This item has levels to it. We’ve all experienced that in life, Taurasi said to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt in April. “And you’re going to see it on this side as well as the NBA side.” Playing against 18-year-olds makes you appear superhuman, but you’ll be up against some mature ladies who have a lot of experience playing professional basketball when you enter a league.
I’m not saying that won’t be understood. Because you can’t stop improving when you’re excellent at anything. However, there will be a transitional period during which you must be patient with yourself as a novice.
Many saw Taurasi’s remarks as disparaging Clark since they were taken out of context.
However, as Sunday’s action demonstrated, Taurasi obviously respects Clark’s skill and what she offers the league.