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.

Ever since she started playing in the WNBA, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has gone through a lot of animosity from other women in the league. Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, on the other hand, has shown a different approach, one that's getting the attention of basketball fans everywhere.

Clark had an impressive college career that has cemented her legacy as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time. During her four years with the Hawkeyes, she has dominated the game, leading the NCAA Division I in scoring and assists multiple times, earning πυmerous accolades, and guiding her team to the national championship game twice.

Before playing her first game as a professional, though, Clark already had a preview of her first year in the league when Phoenix Mercury veteran Diana Taurasi said that she will face a transition period as she enters the professional ranks and plays against "grown women" with extensive WNBA experience.

The Mercury star also emphasized that this is a normal adjustment process for young stars, and urged Clark fans not to be overly sensitive about her remarks, which she believed were simply a factual assessment.

Phoenix Mercury Star Brittney Griner's Class Gesture Towards WNBA Rookie Caitlin Clark Goes Viral

Just recently, Clark's Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury met for the first time this season. Before the game, Griner showed some class by approaching the rookie first, as detailed in an article by Andrew Holleran for The Spun.

"WNBA star Brittney Griner is getting praised for a classy pregame move against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon.

Griner, Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury welcomed Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon. Before the tipoff, Griner showed special love to Clark.

The Phoenix Mercury star forward had a longer than normal pregame moment with Clark, appearing to show her serious love before tipoff," Holleran wrote.

Along with Griner, Taurasi also greeted Clark before the game and acknowledged her presence. This moment stands in contrast to an incident over a month ago that had Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter take Clark down with a shoulder check, which was later on classified as a flagrant foul.

Thanks to Griner's gesture, it looks like the league is already warming up to Clark's presence on the court. Hopefully, the period of animosity directed towards the Fever rookie has come to an end.