WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi calls out 'sensitive' Caitlin Clark fans after online backlash
WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi has called out Caitlin Clark fans for being too 'sensitive' after she was the recipient of backlash online for her 'reality' warning to this year's No. 1 draft pick.
Earlier this month, the 41-year-old Taurasi, who's set to enter her 20th season with the Phoenix Mercury in a matter of weeks, cautioned Clark, as she claimed the ex-Iowa star would face her fair share of struggles on her and Sue Bird's talk show on ESPN.
'Reality is coming,' she said on April 6, nine days before the WNBA Draft took place in Brooklyn. 'There's levels to things. That's just life. We all went through it.'
'You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds, but you're gonna come play with some grown women that have been playing basketball for a long time -- not saying that's not gonna translate.'
Taurasi added: 'There's gonna be a transition period where you're gonna have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.'
Caitlin Clark has been warned that she will have to bid her time to become great in the WNBA
Diana Taurasi - a three-time WNBA champ with the Phoenix Mercury - said Clark's greatness will eventually translate into the league once she's adapted against 'grown women'
Whatever. @DianaTaurasi was just rude… and she’s being called out for it. I don’t know what the motivation is, jealousy or perhaps some insecurity due to her age? She’s never made those kind of comments about other high draft picks. CC got to her
— happle-as-can-be (@HapplefromHill) April 28, 2024
Clark fans didn't take too kindly to the three-time WNBA champion's take, describing Taurasi as 'rude' and 'jealous,' though the latter remains apologetic about what she said, despite the hate.
'The new fans are really sensitive these days,' Taurasi told azcentral's Jeff Metcalfe on Tuesday, adding: 'you can't say anything.
'It's kind of like when you go [from] kindergarten to first grade, there's a learning adjustment. When you go from high school to college, there's a learning adjustment.
Taurasi is the holder of the all-time WNBA scoring record, surpassing 9,000 points in 2023
'I don't think I said anything that's factually incorrect. Like anything, greatness is going to translate. And she's prove that at every level. I don't see why that's going to be any different in the WNBA.'
Taurasi, who's penchant for scoring in crucial situations has earned her the nickname 'White Mamba,' coined by Kobe Bryant, won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2004 and a historic five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020) on top of her three league titles.
She also was the WNBA MVP in 2009 and has earned five scoring titles and three FIBA World Cups. She was selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams and fourteen All-WNBA teams (including ten first-team selections) in the past.
What's more is that Taurasi is also the WNBA all-time leading scorer and became the first player to surpass 9,000 points in 2023. She was selected by fans as the league's greatest player of all time in 2021.