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Join Telegram ChannelDiana Taurasi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in WNBA history. Meanwhile, 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. The game will mark Clark's first opportunity to face Taurasi in the WNBA.
Clark was asked about her feelings ahead of the highly anticipated match with a player she idolized growing up.
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Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever warms up before the /ah game at Wintrust Arena on June 23, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
“It's unbelievable,” Clark told reporters Saturday of Taurasi's two-decade championship run. “I don't think people realize how hard it is to do.”
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Clark also said that stepping onto the field for a match against a player of Taurasi's caliber was “a dream come true. You get to live your dream while playing against the best.”
Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury looks on during the game against the Las Vegas Aces on May 14, 2024 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clark went on to describe Taurasi as one of the WNBA's greatest players of all time. “Obviously, she's one of the greatest players our sport has ever known, the greatest scorer our sport has ever known,” Clark said.
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Despite Clark's latest praise, a budding rivalry between the two high-profile players could be on the horizon.
When Taurasi was asked to share her thoughts on facing Clark for the first time, she gave a brief response. “Yeah, it'll be fun,” she said.
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In April, Taurasi was asked what new WNBA recruits could expect. She then suggested that a rude awakening awaited them.
“Listen, PLEASE, reality is coming,” Taurasi told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt during an April 6 appearance on SportsCenter. “There are levels to this thing. And that's just life. We've all been through it. You see it on the NBA side, and you're going to see it on this side. You have the look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you're going to (play against) grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever looks on during the game against the Seattle Storm on June 27, 2024 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. (Mollie Handkins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Although the comments were directed at the rookie class as a whole, some believed the remarks were a direct attack on Clark, who has been dominant at the college basketball level.
Nonetheless, Taurasi and Clark also share some similarities. Taurasi is the WNBA's leading scorer, while no one has scored more points at the NCAA Division I level than Clark. Both point guards are also good 3-point shooters.
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Taurasi is one of three Mercury players who will represent the United States in Paris next month for the Olympics, joining Brittney Griner and guard Kahleah Copper. Team USA will compete for a record eight consecutive Olympic gold medals.
The 2024 Olympic roster notably does not include any players who recently graduated from the college ranks. Clark's exclusion from the list has sparked considerable debate. Her teammate and reigning league rookie of the year Aliyah Boston was also left off the list.
Kickoff for the Fever and Mercury match will be at 3:00 p.m. EST on June 30.
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