Caitlin Clark Had an Epic WNBA Debut After Diana Taurasi Warned ‘Reality Is Coming’
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WNBA fans are wondering when “reality” is supposed to set in for Caitlin Clark.
On May 3, the 22-year-old basketball star made her preseason WNBA debut after a record-breaking college career that brought countless new eyes to the sport. In her first pro game for Indiana Fever, Clark scored 21 points with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. According to USA Today, 15 of those points were from three-pointers like the ones Clark was known for when she played college ball for the University of Iowa.
Though Indiana Fever was ultimately defeated by the Dallas Wings (79–76), Clark said that “you couldn’t ask for a better game” to kick off the season. Per ABC News, she continued, “[It was] a tremendous game coming down to the wire, both teams competing. That’s going to be the story of the entire year.”
All this excitement comes in the wake of WNBA legend Diana Taurasi’s controversial warning that “reality is coming” for the college superstars in early April. “There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life, we all went through it,” the 41-year-old Phoenix Mercury player told SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt after Iowa defeated UConn (Taurasi’s alma mater) in the Final Four. “You see it on the NBA side, and you’re going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”
She continued, “Not saying that it’s not going to translate, because when you’re great at what you do, you’re just going to get better. But there is going to be a transition period, where you’re just going to have to give yourself grace as a rookie, and it might take a little bit longer for some people.”
While Taurasi faced a wave of backlash for her comments at the time, WNBA fans are stirring the drama back up following Caitlin Clark’s strong debut.
Many fans “can't wait” for Clark and Taurasi to face each other on the court. For the record, Indiana Fever plays their first game against Phoenix Mercury on June 30.
It’s worth noting that Diana Taurasi was talking about all the WNBA rookies, not just Clark—and she stands by her original statement. “These new fans are really sensitive these days. You can’t say anything,” she recently told the press when asked about the original backlash. “It’s kind of like when you go from kindergarten to first grade there’s a learning adjustment. When you go from high school to college there’s a learning adjustment. I don’t think I said anything that wasn’t factually correct.”
On Clark specifically, Taurasi continued, “Like anything, greatness is going to translate and she’s proven that in every level and I don’t see it being any different in the WNBA.”
Clark is on the brink of signing the most lucrative deal for a woman basketball player ever.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
