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Sunday’s WNBA fixture saw the Rook vs the GOAT, Caitlin Clark’s Fever facing off against Diana Taurasi’s Mercury. Clark is the most hyped rookie ever to enter the league and bought eyeballs like no other player in history. Meanwhile, Taurasi is the league’s scoring leader and has a street named after her in Phoenix.
Clark posted a near triple-double with 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds to outperform the 42-year-old’s mark of 19 points, three rebounds and three assists . The Indiana Fever clinched an 88-82 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.
Despite the huge feat of the Fever, let's shed light on the collegiate careers of the two stars.
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Diana Taurasi played for UConn Huskies from 2000–2004 and is separated by two decades from Caitlin Clark's 2020–2024 stint with Iowa. Nevertheless, let's dive into how their early basketball careers unfolded:
Diana Taurasi vs Caitlin Clark college stats comparison
Diana Taurasi vs Caitlin Clark - Freshman year
Taurasi committed to the University of Connecticut and took on the role of point guard/shooting guard.
She posted 10.9 points on 44.4% shooting while garnering 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals. However, her first-year run was cut short after a dismal 1-of-15 shooting against Notre Dame in a Final Four loss (90-75).
Caitlin Clark posted 27 points and eight rebounds on her debut before posting a double-double in her second game. She became the unanimous Big Ten freshman for the year as she generated a 30-point game almost every month.
However, the 13-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week ended the season against UConn in the Sweet 16 after posting 21 points (92-72).
Clark posted 26.6 points, 7.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman and led the NCAA in scoring while being ranked second in assists and threes per game.
Diana Taurasi vs Caitlin Clark - Sophomore year
“We will not lose another tournament game while I’m wearing this uniform,” Taurasi promised fans after the tough loss and garnered a First-team All-Big East honor en route her first NCAA championship.
She elevated her game in almost all aspects, as she produced 14.5 points (49.4% shooting) alongside 5.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Moreover, she also made 44% of her 3s.
Caitlin Clark, meanwhile, opened her sophomore season with 26 points and posted 44 points within the coming month en route becoming the fastest Big Ten player to score 1,000 career points.
Clark then broke both the men’s and women’s Divison I record by garnering back-to-back 30-point triple-doubles, led the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten regular season title and was labeled the Big Ten Player of the Year.
However, despite touching the 40-point mark multiple times in her sophomore season, Clark was held to a season-low 15 points and 11 assists by the 10th-seeded Creighton to end Iowa’s year in a second-round loss.
Diana Taurasi vs Caitlin Clark - Junior year
Taurasi’s breakout season came when UConn’s leaders Ashja Jones, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Sue Bird departed from the program, enabling her to top her championship stint.
She became UConn’s best player, as she posted 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists and led the Storrs to a back-to-back title.
Clark, meanwhile, became the fastest Divison I women’s player since 2000-01 to garner 2000 points in her junior year, as she posted multiple triple-doubles and 40-point games. She repeated as the Big Ten’s Player of the Year as Iowa held another Big Ten tournament championship.
The Hawkeyes moved past the Sweet Sixteen this time as Caitlin Clark scored a 41-point triple-double in the Elite Eight game, followed by another 41-point performance in the Final Four against defending South Carolina, breaking several records.
The Hawkeyes lost to LSU in their first championship game as Clark posted 30 points and eight assists.
Diana Taurasi vs Caitlin Clark - Senior year
After a season full of responsibilities, Taurasi’s burden was eased by Ann Strother, Jessica Moore and Barbara Turner, leading to another championship. As a result, Taurasi focused more on the defensive side of her game and demanded increased inclusion from her teammates.
She recorded her college career-best 1.6 steals in her final year while posting her second-best numbers in terms of overall scoring, assists and 3-point shooting.
Clark, meanwhile, teased her ground-breaking year in a preseason Crossover game at Kinnick Stadium as 55,646 people watched her post 34 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Clark became Hawkeyes’ all-time leading scorer early into her senior season and topped Kelsey Plum for the most 30-point games in women's Division I basketball.
Caitlin Clark then surpassed Plum again in February to become the women’s NCAA scoring leader before breaking Pete Maravich’s men’s record in her last season game.
Iowa won its third consecutive Big Ten tournament, and Clark led the Hawkeyes to their second championship game. She posted 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but the Hawkeyes were unable to hold Dawn Staley’s unit, ending Clark’s college without a NCAA title.
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