PHOENIX, AZ – MAY 23: Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury talks to the media after the game against the Washington Mystics on May 23, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

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“Reality is coming.”

That’s what Diana Taurasi said about Caitlin Clark upon her entrance into the WNBA earlier this year.

“Look, SVP, reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing. That’s just life. We all went through it. You see it on the NBA side, and you’re going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against some 18 years olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time,” Taurasi told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN.

Not saying that it’s not going to translate because when you’re great at you do you’re just going to get better, but there is going to be a transition period when you have to give some grace as a rookie. It make take a little bit longer for some people.”

Sunday, Clark and Taurasi faced off for the first time, with the Indiana Fever taking down the Phoenix Mercury, 88-82.

Following the game, the Indiana Fever had a not-so-subtle reference to Taurasi’s comments on Clark.

That’s well played by the Fever.

Hopefully, we’ll get another fun matchup between Clark and Taurasi later in the year.