It’s evident that Caitlin Clark is under significant scrutiny due to her outstanding performance on the college basketball court.
Clark, the standout player from the University of Iowa known for her impressive long-range shooting, has garnered attention from both present and former WNBA athletes. Diana Taurasi, a revered figure in women’s basketball for her achievements at UConn and in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, delivered a blunt cautionary message to Clark during an ESPN interview. Taurasi warned Clark that the competition is about to get tougher as she transitions from playing against teenagers to facing seasoned professionals, sparking considerable controversy.
“Reality is coming,” she said on ESPN after the Hawkeyes’ win over the Huskies. “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.
“There is gonna be a transition period where you’re going to have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.”
Taurasi also had something to say about LSU Tigers star Angel Reese when she shockingly blurted out, “Wave bye-bye to your own career” when the star could be seen waving to a Middle Tennessee player in the Round of 32.
Taurasi was also asked if she’d take UConn Huskies star Paige Bueckers over Clark in the upcoming WNBA Draft and she made it clear, “I’m taking Paige,” Taurasi replied bluntly. “Next question.”
Social media recently just came across an old video from four years ago that was a conversation between Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe when Taurasi chimed in and stated she wants to “kill” rookies when she first goes against them amid the comments she has been making against players like Caitlin Clark.
“Every time you play rookies, you just wanted to [expletive] kill them,” she said in the video. “Physically, just punk them. There’s this mental bullying that takes place right before the ball goes up. And it happens in different ways, it happens like, ‘Oh you had such a good senior year I’m going to bust your [expletive] right now.’”
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Diani Taurasi’s extensive praise for Caitlin Clark suggests that when the standout from Iowa makes her debut on the WNBA court, anticipation will be high for at least three of her matches.
Taurasi, along with the Phoenix Mercury, is slated to face the Indiana Fever on three occasions in the upcoming season. It’s widely anticipated that the Fever will select Caitlin Clark as the top pick in the draft.
