During the NCAA Tournament, Diana Taurasi appeared to take a swipe at Caitlin Clark by giving her and her college basketball peers a reality check on what awaits them in the WNBA.
While many deemed it as Taurasi hating on the Iowa Hawkeyes superstar , with some even saying that she’s jealous of the attention she’s getting, former WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne shed more light on the icon’s personality and highlighted that it was a normal thing to say for her.
Elena Delle Donne Speaks Out on Diana Taurasi Amid Caitlin Clark Beef
For those who missed it, Taurasi went viral after the Hawkeyes secured a berth in the national championship following a Final Four win against the UConn Huskies. During an ESPN broadcast, the Phoenix Mercury superstar was asked what’s in store for Clark and the other top draft prospects, and Taurasi didn’t hold back when she said “reality is coming.”
“You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time,” Taurasi shared during the show.
While Taurasi came off as someone jealous of the success of Clark and the other young WNBA prospects, Donne’s latest commentary about the 41-year-old highlighted that it’s just part of Taurasi’s personality,
In a report by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN asking WNBA greats on the upcoming draft class led by Clark, one of the questions was “Which veteran will lay the first shoulder into her chest to see how she responds?”
Donne didn’t hesitate in saying it’s Taurasi, and for good reason. After all, it was also Taurasi who gave the seven-time All-Star her “Welcome to the league” moment.
“Diana’s like Kobe [Bryant]. She’s going to test you, so you have to be ready. That’s her, her personality. I love her from being on Team USA. She’s Kobe. I mean, Kobe plowed his own teammate [Pau Gasol] in the Olympics, so no one’s safe,” Donne explained before recalling how hard Taurasi was on her as a rookie.
“Dee did that thing where she tried to plow me when I was making a cut. But after I went back at her, it didn’t happen again,” Donne added.
Making Sense of Diana Taurasi’s Caitlin Clark Message
Many people didn’t like Diana Taurasi’s comments since she could have said something more positive and uplifting for the new generation. Considering the women’s basketball is on the rise because of Caitlin Clark, several fans thought Taurasi could have been more supportive.
But at the end of the day, Taurasi is still a player competing at the highest level. Knowing for a fact that she will be facing off against Clark once she steps foot in the WNBA–the Iowa Hawkeyes star is projected to be the Indiana Fever’s no. 1 pick in the draft–she simply didn’t get off character and tried to please everyone.
As Elena Delle Donne mentioned, Taurasi is like Kobe Bryant in a sense that she always wants the best from her teammates and competition. Is her warning her way to motivate Clark and the other upcoming rookies? Maybe.
Regardless, it certainly makes for an intriguing storyline that the Mercury and the WNBA are already trying to take advantage of.
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