Diana Taurasi praises Caitlin Clark’s ‘remarkable’ WNBA start

In a game that was billed as “The GOAT” vs. “The Rook,” it was the rookie that emerged victorious.

Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark nearly registered a triple-double as the Fever rallied back from a quick 17-4 deficit, an 11-point halftime deficit and a 15-point deficit in the second half to top the Phoenix Mercury , 88-82 on Sunday.

In front of 17,071 fans inside Footprint Center, Clark finished with 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in the win for the Fever.

Of course, the aforementioned “GOAT” would be three-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP and the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer in Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi.

Afterwards, Taurasi shared her thoughts on Clark’s career so far.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s amazing. What Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far has just 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. Being a veteran and being in this league a long, long time, it’s pretty cool to see that and going into the future,” Taurasi said.

Asked later on in the postgame press conference about Clark’s impact on the WNBA, Taurasi said it’s her impact on the Fever that’s really caught her eye.

“I think more importantly, I think she’s done a lot for the Indiana Fever. It’s 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 I think nationally for the game has been pretty incredible and whenever you have that momentum coming out of college and eyes on you for four years straight. I think what she’s doing for that team right now is pretty impressive. When I think of her, I think of what she does for her team,” Taurasi said.

The Fever’s Sunday win over the Mercury was the first of three regular season meetings that’s on tap between the two squads in this 2024 WNBA season.

The two teams will also play on July 12 in Indiana and on Aug. 16 in Indiana. Both games will be televised on ION.

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