Diana Taurasi is considered one of the best 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 compete against Taurasi in the WNBA.
Clark was asked about his feelings ahead of the long-awaited showdown with a player he grew up idolizing.
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Caitlin Clark #22 of 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 career in the league. “I don't think people realize how hard it is to accomplish.”
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Clark also said that taking the field for a game 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 best players our game has ever seen, the best scorer our game has ever seen,” Clark said.
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Despite Clark's latest accolades, a budding rivalry between the two high-profile players could be on the horizon.
When Taurasi was asked to share his thoughts on facing Clark for the first time, he gave a short answer: “Yeah, it'll be fun,” he said.
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In April, Taurasi was asked what rookies entering the WNBA could expect. She suggested they were in for a rude awakening.
“Look, senior vice president, reality is coming,” Taurasi told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt during an April 6 appearance on SportsCenter. “This has levels. And that's life. We all go through it. You see it on the NBA side. “And you'll see it on this side. “You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you'll be playing against some grown women who have played 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)
While the comments were about the rookie class as a whole, some believed they were a direct hit at Clark, who was dominating at the college basketball level.
However, Taurasi and Clark also share some similarities. Taurasi is the WNBA's leading scorer, while no one scored more points in NCAA Division I than Clark. Both guards are also strong 3-point shooters.
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Taurasi is one of three Mercury players who will represent the U.S. in Paris next month for the Olympics, along with Brittney Griner and guard Kahleah Copper. Team USA will compete for a record eight consecutive Olympic gold medals.
Notably, the 2024 Olympic roster does not include any players who have recently risen from the college ranks. Clark's exclusion from the list sparked considerable debate. Her teammate and reigning league rookie of the year, Aliyah Boston, was also left off the list.
The Fever and Mercury match will begin at 3:00 pm EST on June 30.
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