Round 2: Diana Taurasi vs. Caitlin Clark

Diana Taurasi is one of the best players in WNBA history, with 20 years under her belt, so it felt beneath an all-time legend to comment on Caitlin Clark's rookie journey. While Taurasi didn't necessarily say anything disrespectful to the Indiana Fever rookie, warning "reality is coming" alluded to the Iowa star having a down year.

Conversely, Clark is amid a sensational rookie campaign, earning an All-Star bid and setting the single-game WNBA record for assists.

Despite the Fever beating the Phoenix Mercury last June, Taurasi's team deemed it a sensible idea to taunt Clark, essentially pushing for a Taurasi-Clark rivalry.

Phoenix's official social media account on TikTok posted an edit of a woman saying, "I miss the WNBA, Caitlin [Clark], where are you?"

The video then pans to a young fan at a Mercury game who says, "Who's Caitlin? I'm here for [Diana] Taurasi."

Indiana beat Phoenix 88-82 last Jun. 30, with Clark and Taurasi combining for a 4-20 three-point shooting night - not exactly a performance for which to pound your chest.

However, Taurasi is coming off an Olympic gold-medal run in which she averaged only one point; expect a fiery Taurasi on Friday when the Fever rematch the Mercury. Clark catching the attention of a future Hall-of-Fame star in Taurasi at such an early point in her career will only strengthen the Iowa alum's superstar potential.