One year after Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi ignited social media with comments about Caitlin Clark during the women’s Final Four, the two appeared together on Sunday, April 6, on ESPN’s Sue Bird-Taurasi alternate broadcast of the women’s national title game.
Taurasi and Bird welcomed Clark via Zoom on their show during the third quarter of UConn’s blowout 82-59 win in Tampa.
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Clark congratulated Taurasi on her retirement, which caused Taurasi to reference last year’s controversial comments where she said “reality is coming” for Clark once she leaves college for the WNBA.
“Now unfortunately, reality is coming to me now,” Taurasi replied, causing Clark to throw her head back with a laugh.
She said what?: Mercury star Diana Taurasi responds to criticism over Caitlin Clark comments
Clark then took some pointers about her career from Taurasi, who said retirement is not the relaxing experience she thought it would be (“I’m more busy now.”).
“So,” Taurasi said, “if I give you any advice it’s ‘play as long as possible.’”
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Clark said: “We’ll see. We’ll give it 10 years, then we’ll think about it.”
Clark got the chance to play Taurasi for her final season, including in two sold-out games in Phoenix, one of which was the All-Star Game.
Bird asked the pair, “What was it like for you two to play against each other?”
Taurasi didn’t seem spiteful at all.
“It was amazing,” she said. “You know I’ve been following Caitlin for so long. And been watching her college career just in awe. And to be on the court and you know, the first game was in Phoenix and it felt like the last game that was ever going to be played.
“It was anticipation the crowd was going crazy. … It really was an amazing moment.”
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Clark remembered being “a little star-struck.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diana Taurasi, Caitlin Clark laugh off alleged rift on ESPN
