Rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been the subject of frequent discussion from established WNBA players, and some of the doubts they’ve received have upset their fans

WNBA - Focus : Diana Taurasi, la légende américaine

Diana Taurasi doesn’t feel she did anything wrong with her previous commentary on incoming WNBA rookies. 

Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi brushed off the criticism she received for comments about Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky newcomer Angel Reese, calling new fans “really sensitive” for taking her words as a slight of the first-year pros.

“The new fans are really sensitive these days and you can’t say anything,” Taurasi told reporters over the weekend. “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.

“I don’t think I said anything that wasn’t factually correct. Like anything, greatness is going to translate and [Clark] has proven that in every level and I don’t see that being any different in the WNBA.”

Taurasi got blowback from some women’s basketball fans for her commentary on ESPN during the 2024 NCAA Tournament when she suggested slow starts were in store for Clark, Reese and other new arrivals.

“Reality is coming,” she said. “There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life; 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 against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come play with some grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time. Not saying that it’s not going to translate, cause when you’re great at what you do, you’re just going to get better.”

Additionally, Taurasi snarkily said Reese could “wave bye-bye” to her career after LSU’s elimination from March Madness, intensifying the public outcry against her.

Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner want to return to Mercury in 2024 - ESPN

Taurasi, 41, is one of the all-time WNBA greats. She’s made 10 All-Star teams, won three titles and took home MVP in 2009.

Because of the way she analyzed the 2024 draft class, though, some fans have come to see her as an example of WNBA veterans bristling at the popularity of young stars such as Clark and Reese. That said, Reese recently told reporters that she’s gotten a generally warm reception from the league after the Sky took her in the first round.

“Being at the draft last week, I got the chance to talk to Nneka (Ogwumike), Satou (Sabally), and a lot of the vets,” Reese said at a preseason event. “They (the veterans) were telling me they were super excited for us to come here and be in this amazing league. Being able to be embraced by vets is something that I love, and they understand and know our impact.”

Taurasi might suit up alongside Clark at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as she’s participated in Team USA camps while Clark remains in the running despite a relative lack of experience.

A Team USA official recently stated that Clark’s production in the first month of her WNBA career could determine whether she makes the final international squad.