Fever’s Caitlin Clark sounds off on first-ever clash with Diana Taurasi
Caitlin Clark is having a strong start to her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. Clark is set to continue her season against one of the most iconic players in league history. The Fever are taking on the Phoenix Mercury and Diana Taurasi on Sunday afternoon, and Clark sounded off on her anticipated meeting with the all-time great.
When asked if facing off against Taurasi brought extra excitement to Clark, she gave an insightful response.
“Yeah for sure. That’s someone I grew up idolizing, looking up to, and wanting to be like someday,” Clark said, via Desert Wave Media. “Obviously, she’s one of the greatest players our game has ever seen, the greatest scorer our game has ever seen. So for me, I’m excited. That’s fun. It’s almost like a dream come true. You get to live out your dream while playing against the best there ever has been. So it’s fun for me for sure.”
Taurasi gave similar respect to Clark and the Fever.
“Indiana is a super talented young team, they are going to come in here and play well,” Taurasi said. “The beauty about being young is you don’t know any better. You can play carefree, just go into buildings and let if fly.”
Caitlin Clark and her team will surely let it fly on Sunday afternoon. The Fever have won six of their last 10 games but have lost two in a row. With a 7-12 record, they are one spot below the Chicago Sky for the fifth-place seed in the WNBA playoff picture. The Fever know their Mercury matchup will not be easy, but they look to use their strengths to come away with a win.
Clark, Fever will be tested against a veteran team
In addition to Diana Taurasi, the Mercury possess the services of Kahleah Copper and Brittany Griner. Copper has had an amazing scoring outburst in her first year with Phoenix. The 29-year-old averages 22.7 points per game, which ranks her third in the league. Clark and the Fever will have their hands full slowing the former WNBA champion down. Griner is having an impressive year of her own as well.
Through seven games, Griner averages 19.3 points per contest, her most since 2021. In addition, she hauls in 7.6 rebounds a night. At 6’9″, Griner will be forced to stop in the paint. However, the Fever have their own stout attack to bolster.
Aliyah Boston leads Indiana’s interior game. She averages 12.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Boston looks to hold her own against Phoenix’s frontcourt and wants to get in a flow alongside Caitlin Clark. Their pairing has not been perfect, as Clark alluded to after Indiana’s June 19th Washington Mystics win.
“There was a couple here and there,” Clark said about her missed throws to Boston. “One was a set design where I kinda just assumed Aliyah would be open and I didn’t even really look before I threw it. So I think just slowing down a little bit.”
With time, Clark and Boston will find their groove. Although, they are hoping things will smoothly fall into place against against the Mercury on Sunday.
