Diana Taurasi is widely regarded as one of the best players in WNBA history, while rookie Caitlin Clark has helped bring unprecedented attention to women’s basketball.
Clark and the Indiana Fever will face Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, marking Clark’s first time facing Taurasi in the WNBA.
Clark was asked how he felt before the long-awaited match against a player he had admired since childhood.
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Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark (number 22) warms up before a game at Wintrust Arena on June 23, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
“It’s unbelievable,” Clark told reporters Saturday about Taurasi’s 20 years in the league. “I don’t think people understand how hard it is.”
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Clark also said that playing against a player of Taurasi’s caliber is “a dream come true. I get to live my dream playing against the best.”
Diana Taurasi (No. 3) of the Phoenix Mercury watches a game against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena on May 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clark also called Taurasi one of the best players in WNBA history: “Obviously, she’s one of the best players in WNBA history and she’s the best scorer,” Clark said.
Despite Clarke’s recent accolades, a rivalry may be brewing between the two big-name players.
When asked how it would feel to face Clark for the first time, Taurasi was brief: “Yeah, it’s going to be fun,” she said.
When asked in April what WNBA rookies could expect, Taurasi suggested there would be some harsh reality to look forward to.
“SVP, reality is setting in,” Taurasi told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt during an April 6 appearance on SportsCenter. “There’s a level to this. That’s life. We’ve all been through it. We’ve seen it on NBA teams and we’re going to see it on this side. They seem superhuman when you’re playing against 18-year-olds, but these are grown women who have been playing professional basketball for years.”
Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark (number 22) watches a game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Molly Handkins/NBAE via Getty Images)
While the comment was aimed at the entire recruiting class, some saw it as a direct criticism of Clark, who has been dominant at the college basketball level.
Still, Taurasi and Clark have something in common: Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, no one has scored more points than Clark at the NCAA Division I level, and both point guards are good 3-point shooters.
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Taurasi is one of three Mercurys players, along with running back Brittney Griner and guard Kalia Copper, who will represent the United States at next month’s Olympics in Paris, where the U.S. team will be competing for a record eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
The 2024 Olympic team roster does not include any recent college recruits. Clark’s exclusion from the varsity roster sparked considerable controversy. Her teammate, Aaliyah Boston, the league’s Rookie of the Year, was also omitted from the varsity roster.
The match between the Fever and Mercury will begin at 3pm ET on June 30th.
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