Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides mentioned one of Caitlin Clark‘s biggest rivals when Rookie of the Year conversation surfaced on July 6.
Clark had just turned in the first-ever triple double by a WNBA rookie in an 83-78 victory over the New York Liberty. She posted 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in the process.
“I’m always gonna make a case for my players,” Sides told the media. “First and foremost she is the most competitive human being I’ve ever met. I really compare her to Diana Taurasi.”
Yes, the 20-year veteran who made noise amid Clark’s WNBA arrival. Taurasi told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on April 6 that “reality is coming” regarding Clark and the incoming rookie class.
“There are levels to this thing and that’s just life. We’ve all been through it,” Taurasi told Van Pelt, “You see it on the NBA side and you’re gonna see it on this side, where you look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re gonna come with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”
“Not saying [Clark’s skills] are not gonna translate, because when you’re great at what you do, you’re just gonna get better,” Taurasi added. “But there is gonna be a transition period where you’re gonna have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.”
Fans went after Taurasi on social media, and she clarified her comments during training Camp on April 28. She said “greatness is going to translate and she’s proven that at every level” regarding Clark.
Things started slow for Clark as a WNBA rookie with a 10-turnover game right off the bat and a couple of single-digit scoring outputs against the Liberty. That was during the 2-9 start to the season.
Caitlin Clark Impressed Diana Taurasi in Lone Meeting
Since the slow start, the Fever have gone 7-4, and Clark is amassing rookie records along the way. In that span, Clark helped the Fever beat Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury 88-82 on July 1 in a highly-touted matchup.
Clark scored 15 points in that game and came a rebound shy of a triple double amid nine rebounds and 12 assists. Taurasi scored 19 points and had three rebounds and three assists.
“It’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far,” Taurasi told reporters after that loss. “It’s been nothing short of remarkable.”
“And the one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game,” Taurasi added. “You could tell she’s put the work in. And 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.”
Fever Had 2 Days Off During Big Week
Clark’s latest game marked the first win for the Fever against the Liberty in years, and the Fever beat a division and conference leader for the first time this season, too. That’s also two big wins for the Fever in a week amid a national spotlight in both contests. The Fever could get another two days off as Sides gave them after the Mercury game.
“We gave them two days off in this last week and so they really think that’s what it was… when I walked in they were giving everybody the credit. They were really happy for Lexie. Really happy for Dantas — they showered Caitlin,” Sides told reporters.
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