Watch: WNBA Star’s Words Come Back to Haunt Her After ESPN Host Gives Her a Caitlin Clark Reality Check
The article discusses the performance of WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark and her comparison to veteran player Diana Taurasi following the conclusion of the WNBA season. Despite both the Phoenix Mercury (Taurasi’s team) and the Indiana Fever (Clark’s team) making the playoffs, Clark outperformed Taurasi in various statistical categories, including points, assists, and rebounds per game. Initially, Taurasi had suggested that Clark would face difficulties transitioning from college to the professional level, but Clark exceeded expectations, leading to discussions about her potential as not just Rookie of the Year but also a candidate for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
As Clark made an impact on the league, sports commentators began to challenge Taurasi’s earlier remarks, suggesting that Clark embodies the “reality” of the WNBA’s competitiveness. This was underscored by Clark’s impressive performances that not only secured her a playoff spot for the Fever but also generated significant interest in women’s basketball. Despite Taurasi’s legendary status in the sport, it seems that Clark’s rising prominence might redefine the narrative around this era of women’s basketball.
With the WNBA season officially over, one thing’s for sure: Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi is eating a bit of crow regarding the league’s likely Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark.
Yes, both the Mercury and the Indiana Fever are in the playoffs — although Clark’s Fever are the No. 6 seed at 20-20, ahead of the Mercury, who made it in at No. 7 with a losing 19-21 record.
Clark finished with more points per game (19.2 vs. 14.9), assists (8.4 vs. 3.4) and rebounds (5.7 vs. 3.8) than Taurasi. And yes, she’s quite a bit younger at 22 vs. 42 for Taurasi.
But, as the Mercury legend assured us before the season, Clark was about to hit the wall of “reality” in an interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.
Except, she didn’t. Now, Van Pelt thinks Clark should have a new nickname, courtesy of Taurasi: “The Reality.”
In April, after Taurasi said on her own show that she would have taken Paige Bueckers from her own alma mater, UConn, over Clark in the draft (even though Bueckers wasn’t even in the draft), she told Van Pelt that playing in the WNBA is a whole different level than playing in college.
“Reality is coming,” she said. “There’s levels to this thing and that’s just life, we all went through it.
“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.”
Scott Van Pelt was there when Diana Taurasi said “Reality is coming”
5 months later, after the reg season, he’s out here saying that she was wrong and Caitlin Clark is “THE REALITY”🔥🔥🔥🔥
Oh how the tables have turned. Full circle moment😂😂😂#WNBA #FeverRising pic.twitter.com/2TVq0ni02c
— AK (@Sudharsan_AK10) September 20, 2024
Well, as Sports Illustrated noted, not only did Clark meet reality head on and do pretty darn well in the process, she’s apparently in the top four among media members’ consensus for WNBA MVP voting.
You heard me right: Not Rookie of the Year, but Most Valuable Player of the entire league.
Granted, she probably won’t win; the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson might even be a unanimous selection given her dominance this season and win her third MVP, but Clark was fourth in the consensus straw poll reported on Thursday by SI, behind Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty.
That being said, it speaks volumes about “reality” when Clark is in the MVP voting and Taurasi — who is nearing the end of her career, it’s worth noting — doesn’t even get a sympathy vote.
Perhaps it’s because the Fever are in the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016. Perhaps it’s because they’re ahead of the Mercury. Or perhaps it’s because Clark has ignited newfound interest in the sport. Whatever the reason, Van Pelt said Taurasi’s comment had come back to bite her.
Scott Van Pelt speaking on Caitlin Clark, “She’s the reality”
Boy we have done a 180, haven’t we.
So proud of you Caitlin Clark. You proved all doubters wrong. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/uqcsoW05Cr
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) September 20, 2024
“Speaking of legends, speaking of Connecticut, I think Diana Taurasi had it wrong. I think she was the reality,” Van Pelt said on Thursday during a discussion with another UConn legend, Rebecca Lobo.
“I think Caitlin, they should call her ‘The Reality’ because she was coming, and she’s here in this league,” the longtime ESPN host said. “She has been great.”
Maybe it sticks, maybe it doesn’t. But, “the reality” is that it turns out we’re going to be talking about Caitlin Clark for a lot longer than Diana Taurasi.
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