It was all love for Diana Taurasi towards Caitlin Clark.
The WNBA legend and young phenom faced off for the first time on Sunday in front of a roaring crowd, 17,000 fans strong, the Phoenix Mercury‘s largest crowd of the year.
As she’s done most of this season, Clark didn’t succumb to the pressure of the crowd, nor did she shy away from a matchup against a player in Taurasi who many consider the greatest the WNBA has ever seen.
The Indiana Fever walked out of the Footprint Centre in Phoenix with an 88-82 win behind a 15-point, nine-rebound, 12-assist performance from Clark, leaving Taurasi impressed with just how impactful the rookie has been so far in the league.
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“It’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far has been nothing short of remarkable,” the 42-year-old stalwart said after the game, praising Clark. “The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell she’s put the work in. Even throughout her short WNBA career, it’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of things thrown at her and she keeps showing up, keeps getting better. Her future is super bright.
“Being a veteran and being in the league for a long, long time, it’s pretty cool to see that going into the future.”
The matchup between Clark and Taurasi has been one circled on the calendar for many fans, as it not only represents a passing of the torch in the WNBA, but it was also one that could see some bad blood as Taurasi was somewhat dismissive of the phenom earlier in the year.
The 3-time WNBA champ notably said “Reality is coming” and “There’s levels to this thing” about Clark while her Iowa Hawkeyes were playing in the Women’s March Madness tourney back in April.
She had since cooled on those comments, praising Clark once she entered the league, saying “Greatness is going to translate and she’s proven that at every level. I don’t see it being any different in the WNBA.”
The two hugged it out before the game and were seen joking and laughing together during dead balls.
Taurasi’s words about her greatness have rung true this season as Clark leads the rookie field in points (16.2), assists (6.9) and steals+blocks (2.3). She has also led the Fever to a 7-4 record in June, the fourth-best mark in the WNBA.
“More important, she’s done a lot for the Indiana Fever,” Taurasi said. “A team that for the last couple of years has been trying to get back to their glory days of Tamika Catchings and putting up banners. So obviously, what she’s done for the game has been pretty incredible and having that momentum coming out of college, eyes on you for four years straight. I think what she’s doing for that team right now is pretty impressive.”
“When I think of her, I think of what she’s done for that team.”
