College hoops fans back $3.4 million NIL-valued Caitlin Clark's decision not to mention Diana Taurasi among other WNBA stars: "I'm glad she didn't"

Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark is in New York for the 2024 WNBA draft and made a surprise appearance on "Saturday Night Live." The two-time national player of the year was featured on the "Weekend Update" sketch, where she traded banter with host Michael Che before ending the segment praising WNBA legends, with one notable exception, Diana Taurasi.

“I’m sure (my rookie year in the WNBA will) be a big first step for me,” Clark said. “But it’s just one step for the WNBA, thanks to all the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley and my basketball hero, Maya Moore. These are the women that kicked down the door, so I could walk inside.”

Appearing on ESPN's "SportsCenter" before the Iowa star's feature on "SNL," WNBA legend Diana Taurasi discussed the manner in which the $3.4 million NIL-valued Clark (as per On3) would adapt to the WNBA.

"Reality is coming. We all went through it," Taurasi said. "That happens on the NBA side, and you're going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you're going to come with some grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time."

College hoops fans on X picked up on the fact that Clark left out Taurasi on her list of legends during her "SNL" sketch.

Here's how they reacted:

"Intentional or not, I’m glad she didn’t," one fan tweeted.

"I think from a marketing aspect, the statement was intentional," another fan tweeted.

"Clark very well could take someone spot on USA team and it could be DT which would really make things interesting," one fan tweeted.

"It’s a great sign that @CaitlinClark22 is not going to roll over to the doubters and haters in the WNBA," another fan tweeted.

"Diana Taurasi is just salty cause no one cared to watch her when she played!! And cause Caitlin Clarke is better than her," one fan tweeted.

"Taurasi is nasty overrated, over the hill, has been!" a fan tweeted.

"Absolutely it was intentional…and warranted," another fan tweeted.

Caitlin Clark divides opinions among ex-pros

While Caitlin Clark is almost universally acknowledged as one of the best-ever women's college basketball players by analysts and fans, some professionals like Diana Taurasi don't seem sold on the hype.

During an appearance on the "Queens of the Court" podcast, four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes, who found herself in hot water with fans a few weeks ago due to her opinion on Clark, ventured a different opinion.

"Caitlin Clark is probably the best shooter, especially in the college game, that I've ever seen," Swoopes said. "I'm not saying there haven't been others, but that I've ever seen.

"I agree with Dawn. ... she has absolutely taken the women's game to a different level. She's brought more eyes, people who never watched a single game of women's basketball tuned in because they wanted to see who is this little girl from Iowa shooting these logo 3s."

However she handles the adaptation to the WNBA, all eyes will be on Caitlin Clark to either justify their doubts or the hype that always seems to accompany the Iowa superstar.