When Caitlin Clark shared honest thoughts on competing against Diana Taurasi - "Always be somebody that I idolized"

Caitlin Clark and Diana Taurasi only played against each other for one season in the WNBA. The Indiana Fever young star always admired Taurasi, one of the greatest basketball players ever, who recently announced retirement. After 20 seasons in the W, the Phoenix Mercury icon called it a career, drawing plenty of reactions from within and outside the WNBA.

A video shared by the WNBA of Clark talking about Taurasi resurfaced on Wednesday. In the clip, the former No. 1 overall pick gave her flowers to DT, a player who impacted her and many other young players.

"I admire her competitive spirit. I admire her fiery passion. But more than anything, she's helped this game grow and go to a lot of special places. She’ll always be somebody that i idolize and look up to, no matter if it was young Caitlin or whether it’s Caitlin getting to play against her," Clark said.

The Indiana Fever swept the Mercury in their regular-season series (3-0) in the 2024 season. They won the first game (June 30) 88-82 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse before winning the next two matchups as visitors (95-86 on July 12 and 98-89 on Aug. 16).

Clark finished the first game one rebound away from a triple-double (15 points, 12 assists and nine boards) but posted another double-double against the Mercury in their second meeting (fifth consecutive at the time with 20 points and 13 assists).

In the third matchup, the rookie guard dropped 29 on the Mercury to wrap up a winning series for the Fever. Taurasi has shown her admiration for Clark, even after a rocky start in their relationship.

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Diana Taurasi praised Caitlin Clark after first matchup against Fever star

After sharing her skepticism about Caitlin Clark's potential immediate impact on the WNBA, Taurasi changed her mind after her first encounter with the former Iowa Hawkeyes. The Fever returned from a 15-point deficit in June, which drew high praise from Taurasi.

"It's amazing what Caitlin's been able to do in her short career so far," Taurasi said. "The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell she's put the work in. ... It's been a lot of pressure, a lot of things thrown at her, and she keeps showing up and keeps getting better every single game."

After legendary players like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi retired, the game is in good hands with up-and-coming stars like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, to name a few.