Caitlin Clark and Diana Taurasi share a hug before the start of the Fever vs. Mercury game

Caitlin Clark and Diana Taurasi share a hug before the start of the Fever vs. Mercury game. Taurasi made critical comments about Clark in April.

By Craig Meyer

June 30, 2024 22:23

Caitlin Clark has oddly been cast as a lightning rod for her maturity and sophistication in handling her enormous fame, yet the Indiana Fever rookie is nonetheless one of the most discussed and polarizing athletes in the entire American sports world.

As she transitioned from her record-breaking collegiate career at the University of Iowa to the WNBA, that constant chatter inevitably included criticism, with current WNBA players sometimes presented as her foils.

This weekend, he faced off against one of them, and the confrontation started with a friendly exchange.

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Seconds before kickoff in the Fever game against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, Clark clapped hands with Mercury star Diana Taurasi and briefly hugged her, a symbolic meeting between the former face of the WNBA league and its new phenomenon.

Clark also shared a hug and a brief word with Phoenix center Brittney Griner, a nine-time WNBA All-Star, two-time WNBA scoring champion and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Taurasi made a notable appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in April after Clark and Iowa defeated Taurasi’s alma mater, University College, in the Final Four. When asked by host Scott Van Pelt what Clark might experience in moving to the WNBA, Taurasi delivered what some interpreted as a harsh message to the two-time National College Player of the Year.

“Look, SVP, reality is going to set in,” Taurasi said. “There are levels to this, that’s life. Everybody goes through it. If you see it on the NBA side, you’re going to see it on this side.” There you go against 18-year-olds who look superhuman, but with them come grown women who’ve been playing professional basketball for a long time.

“I’m not saying it won’t work, because when you’re doing what you’re doing well, you’re going to get even better, but there’s always going to be a transition period where you have to sacrifice yourself at some point. Grace is a beginner, but it might take a little longer for some people.”

Taurasi’s words weren’t particularly controversial (rookies in any professional sport suffer growing pains), and considering Clark’s initial struggles upon arriving in Indiana, Taurasi’s assessment may have been correct.

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Caitlin Clark grew up idolizing Diana Taurasi. Playing her was “almost a dream come true.”

Still, the 10-time WNBA first-team champion was one of several voices criticizing Clark, who entered the league as perhaps the most promising player of all time.

The Fever’s game against the Mercury was unusually controversial, with five technical fouls between the two teams in the first half, none of which involved Clark or Taurasi. In fact, the two were caught sharing a conversation during the game.

For Clark, the opportunity to play against Taurasi for the first time marked another milestone in an already fulfilling and blossoming career.

“He’s someone I grew up looking up to and admiring and wanting to be like one day,” Clark said ahead of the game against the Mercury. “Obviously, she’s one of the best players our sport has ever seen and the best scorer our sport has ever seen. So for me it’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s almost like a dream come true. You get to live your life,” she said. “The dream.” While playing against the best player, or maybe the best player of all time.”