Veteran sportscaster crowns Caitlin Clark after standout rookie season: "Caitlin is the reality"

Scott Van Pelt crowned Caitlin Clark as the "reality", which was a reference to the "reality is coming" statement made by Diana Taurasi ahead of Clark's rookie season.

During a segment of ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Thursday, Van Pelt argued that Taurasi's statement has been proven wrong and that Clark was the "reality" that entered the WNBA, not vice-versa:

"I think Diana Taurasi had it wrong. I think she was the reality, I think Caitlin, they should call her the reality because she was coming and she's here in the league, she's been great," Van Pelt said.

In April, while Clark was playing in the Women's NCAA Tournament Final Four, Taurasi told Van Pelt that Clark was bound to face the "reality" of playing professionals in the league:

"Reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life,” Taurasi said. “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 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come with some grown women that’ve been playing professional basketball for a long time."

Taurasi's statement did seem to be true initially as the former Iowa Hawkeye superstar struggled in her opening few games in the league as the Indiana Fever started the season with a 0-5 record.

However, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft sparked a complete turnaround later in the season, clinching numerous records along the way as she led the Fever to secure their first playoff spot since 2016.

Clark finished her rookie WNBA campaign averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. She shot 41.7% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc.

Caitlin Clark passes Diana Taurasi in 3-point record

Caitlin Clark capped off her historic rookie season with even more records during the Fever's final regular season game on Thursday against the Washington Mystics.

With eight points in limited minutes during the 92-91 road loss, Clark secured the Fever's franchise record for most points scored in a single season. Six of those points were from her 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc which brought her 3-point tally for the season to 122, one more than Diana Taurasi's 121 in 2006.

With that, the Fever's star rookie secured herself the second spot on the WNBA's most 3-pointers made in a single season list, just six 3s behind Sabrina Ionescu who clinched the record during the 2023 season.

Moreover, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever swept Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury in their regular season series. With the WNBA veteran having hinted at her retirement after the conclusion of this season, it seems that Clark will remain unbeaten against Taurasi.

How do you think Clark and Co. will fare in the playoffs this postseason? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.