Already Starting? Phoenix WNBA Team Takes Apparent Jab at Caitlin Clark After Diana Taurasi Drama
The article discusses the burgeoning rivalry and tension between NBA star Caitlin Clark, a rookie with the Indiana Fever, and established player Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury. Despite Clark’s recent success and popularity following her gold medal win with the U.S. women’s basketball team, Taurasi criticized her, implying that Clark needs to be “humbled” as she transitions from college to professional basketball. This animosity intensified when Taurasi made the Olympic team over Clark, which many viewed as an unjust decision rooted in Taurasi’s status rather than performance. The Mercury’s social media response, which showcased their loyalty to Taurasi while dismissing Clark, further ignited the discussion. Fans have expressed their support for Clark, some even stating they would lose interest in women’s basketball without her presence. The rivalry is set to play out soon as the Fever and Mercury are scheduled to face each other on the court.
Well, that didn’t take long.
Less than a week after the U.S. women’s basketball team won the gold medal during a highly contentious Paris Olympics … it appears the women’s basketball world is back to hating on Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.
While fans have flocked to Clark (almost quite literally) for a variety of reasons, the same cannot be said of many of her peers, who seem to show a tinge of jealousy of Clark’s supernova stardom.
One of her chief critics coming into the year?
Longtime Phoenix Mercury standout Diana Taurasi.
Things got off to a frosty start between Taurasi and Clark when the former told the latter that “reality is coming” for her.
The not-so-subtle meaning behind that jab is that Taurasi thinks Clark needs to and should be “humbled” in the jump from college hoops to professional basketball.
(Clark has largely thrived, for what it’s worth.)
Whatever testiness that may have already existed between the two was only exacerbated when Taurasi made the women’s Olympic team over Clark.
Many lambasted the move as something of a “lifetime achievement” award for Taurasi, and not based on merit.
To their point, statistically speaking at least, Clark has largely outplayed Taurasi this year.
Making the roster decision even more baffling was that Clark — again, whose popularity simply can’t be overstated — didn’t make the U.S. women’s team at all.
Many of Clark’s most ardent supporters took to social media to collectively cross their arms and say that they’re not terribly interested in watching women’s basketball if the Fever rookie isn’t playing.
The Mercury clearly heard all that chatter (and are surely aware no love is lost between Taurasi and Clark) and decided to take an odd shot at both Clark and her fans in a TikTok video.
@phoenixmercury we’ll take our six-time gold medalist any day of the week, thank you #WNBA #DianaTaurasi #Basketball #PhoenixMercury (Inspo📱: @HoopScoop ♬ original sound – Phoenix Mercury
“I miss the WNBA,” a fan was seen saying. “Caitlin, where are you?”
The video then immediately cut to a young Mercury fan who said, “Who’s Caitlin? I’m here for Taurasi.”
The young fan was holding a sign with identical verbiage.
The TikTok jab then cut to a short highlight reel of Taurasi.
And just in case there was any doubt about the purpose of the video, the caption to the video threw in one last jab.
“We’ll take our six-time gold medalist any day of the week, thank you,” the video’s caption read.
The Fever, which won their last couple of games against the Mercury, won’t have to wait very long to stick up for Clark.
The Mercury were scheduled to travel to Indiana to face the Fever on Friday. The WNBA season writ large resumes today.
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