The Fever posted, "reality check," on X while announcing Sunday's (June 30) win, which referenced Taurasi's past comments regarding Clark's hype entering her first WNBA season.
Clark, 22, recorded 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds during Sunday's win. Taurasi, 42, finished with 19 points, three assists and three rebounds.
The WNBA legend had previously addressed Clark's hype entering the league in April, which some took as criticism.
“Reality is coming, there’s levels to this thing,” Taurasi told SVP SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt while discussing Clark and Chicago Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso in April.
“And that’s just life, we all went through it,” she added. “You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds but you’re going to come [play] with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time. Not saying it’s not gonna translate, because when you’re great at what you do, you’re just gonna get better.
“But there is gonna be a transition period, where you’re gonna have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.”
On Sunday, Taurasi praised Clark's early success during her postgame press conference.
“It’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far,” Taurasi said via the New York Post . “It’s been nothing short of remarkable. The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell 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 keeps getting better every single game.
“So, her future is super bright, and being a veteran and being in this league for a long, long time, it is pretty cool to see that and go into the future.”
Clark, 22, has averaged 16.2 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds through her first 20 games, though the Fever have struggled with a 8-12 record, which included losing eight of their first 10 games in 2024. The former University of Iowa standout is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history and her collegiate dominance has led to a significant spike in the popularity of women's basketball.
The Fever have accounted for all of the five most-watched WNBA games since 2002, which includes their June 16 win against the Chicago Sky (1.3 rating and 2.25 million viewers) surpassing Clark's WNBA debut on ESPN2 Opening Night as the league's most-watched game since the 2001 Memorial Day matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and Houston Comets, which totaled 2.44 million viewers.
This story is brought to you by the Women's Sports Audio Network (WSAN). WSAN is the first-ever audio platform dedicated exclusively to women's sports. WSAN celebrates female athletes and gives an in-depth look into their personal experiences in and out of their respective sports. Check out more on the WSAN site .
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