Following a remarkable rookie year in the WNBA for Caitlin Clark, basketball icon Diana Taurasi is revisiting her earlier assessment of the challenges ahead for the Iowa Hawkeyes standout.
During a recent appearance on “Bird & Taurasi Show,” alongside Sue Bird, Taurasi acknowledged her previous statement that “reality is coming” when discussing Clark’s entry into the league. The conversation took an unexpected turn when Clark playfully congratulated Taurasi on her retirement after 20 seasons.
“Thank you, unfortunately, reality is coming to me now,” Taurasi responded with a laugh.
Taurasi initially made these remarks approximately a year ago, suggesting that Clark would face increased competition and a higher level of skill in the WNBA after dominating college basketball. She explained at the time:
“You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to be playing against some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”
Despite initial adjustments to the pace and physicality of the WNBA, Clark quickly adapted, developing chemistry with her Indiana Fever teammates. Her stellar performance included:
- Averaging 19.2 points per game
- Leading the league with 8.4 assists per game
- Securing 5.7 rebounds per game
- Recording 1.3 steals per game
Clark’s impressive statistics earned her both the KIA Rookie of the Year Award and a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, with her 337 assists setting a new single-season record.
Taurasi’s career serves as the standard that Clark is now pursuing. Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players ever, Taurasi boasts an impressive resume:
- 11 All-Star selections
- Three WNBA championships with the Phoenix Mercury
While Clark has demonstrated a remarkable start to her professional career, she aims to lead the Fever on a championship run, and the team has made strategic roster improvements in anticipation of this goal.
The Indiana Fever will kick off their 2025 WNBA season on May 17 against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
