Diana Taurasi had some praise for Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
Following the Fever’s 88-82 victory over Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury Sunday, Taurasi spoke to reporters about Clark and the impact she has had early in her WNBA career.
More from Taurasi on Clark: "…More importantly, she's done a lot for the Indiana Fever. A team that for the last couple of years is 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…
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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,” Taurasi told reporters. “The one thing that I really love about her … 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 and she keeps getting better every single game. So her future is super bright.”
She continued by acknowledging Clark’s impact on her team and how Indiana is looking to return to a previous standard.
“She’s done a lot for the Indiana Fever,” Taurasi told reporters. “A team that for the last couple of years is 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.”
Taurasi is quite the advocate to have in your corner. She is a 10-time All-Star, won the 2009 MVP and has three WNBA championships in her 20 seasons. She also notably warned Clark and the other incoming rookies that “reality is coming” and that the transition from the collegiate ranks would be difficult.
Clark was sensational in college. She was a four-time All-American, two-time AP Player of the Year and led her Iowa Hawkeyes to two straight national championship appearances. She averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists and 7.4 rebounds during her senior season at Iowa.
She has not been as dominant during her rookie season in the WNBA, but that was to be expected with the level change. She is currently averaging 16.2 points, 6.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds and has led Indiana to an 8-12 start to the season.
While the record is not tearing up the league, it’s closely approaching the team’s win total from 2023 (13) and has exceeded the win totals from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons.
While there is still plenty of room for Clark to grow, it appears that Taurasi got a strong first impression.
