One would think that Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to WNBA takes. However, not all fans were pleased with her comments regarding the Indiana Fever's No. 1 draft pick Caitlin Clark.
Taurasi defended herself on Monday, saying that she didn't mean anything bad by it, via AZ Central Sports' Dana Scott.
The 41-year-old insisted that all she meant was that Clark will have to take some time to adjust to the next level, just like any other college prospect. Some fans may have taken it the wrong way due to Taurasi's previous claim that she would've taken UConn's Paige Bueckers over her if they'd have been in the same draft class. Taurasi had also mentioned that Clark only looked “superhuman” because she was facing collegiate defenders.
Clark doesn't seem to harbor any ill will towards Taurasi, as she brushed off the claims as “competition,” via The Pat McAfee Show.
Clark even mentioned that she “idolized” the modern legends growing up, and Taurasi seems to have a similar level of respect for her as well. She mentioned Monday that “wherever she (Clark) goes, greatness will follow, as she's proven.”
The Mercury will face Clark's Indiana Fever on June 30th, in a matchup that the team is billing as “The GOAT vs. The Rook.” Will Taurasi's claims hold up, or will Clark hit the ground running and immediately play like she did at Iowa?
Caitlin Clark probably won't dominate right away, as Mercury legend Diana Taurasi alluded to
Taurasi, of course, speaks from experience. After leading UConn to three consecutive NCAA titles from 2002-04, she got selected first overall to Phoenix in the 2004 WNBA Draft. The 10-time All-Star didn't win a championship in the big leagues until 2007, and missed the playoffs in each of her first three seasons.
Although Clark never won a title at Iowa, she undoubtedly took the program to new heights. However, being the first overall selection means that player is probably going to a bad team. In this case, the Fever are coming off a 13-27 season, good for last place in the Eastern Conference.
Although Indiana has some decent pieces on paper, it may take some time for them all to gel. The squad is led by 2018 No. 2 overall pick Kelsey Mitchell, who's averaged 16.2 points per game through her first eight years. However, the Fever desperately need help with offensive facilitation, which is where Clark will come into play, via Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star.
“The Fever averaged just 18 assists per game in 2023 (11th in the league), while Clark averaged 8.9 in her senior year at Iowa,” said Peterson.
Any team relying that heavily on a rookie is probably going to need some time to develop before being a contender. Clark may receive immediate individual accolades, but don't expect her to start winning rings right away. After some simple research, it appears that Taurasi's comments may have been well-founded after all. The two-time WNBA Finals MVP certainly doesn't deserve backlash for not immediately jumping on Clark's hype train.
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