Phoenix Mercury guard and WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi had nothing but praise for Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark following Sunday’s matchup.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi embraces Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark

Before Caitlin Clark ever stepped on a WNBA court, fans attempted to create a rivalry between the rookie and Phoenix Mercury veteran Diana Taurasi. Comments made during an ESPN segment with Scott Van Pelt from the three-time league champion ruffled a few feathers earlier this year. On Sunday, though, Taurasi showed Clark nothing but support and respect.

The Indiana Fever defeated the Mercury 88-82 on Sunday, with Clark coming up one rebound shy of a triple-double. She finished the afternoon with 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Taurasi scored 19 points with three rebounds and three assists.

After the game, Taurasi praised Clark for the strong start to her rookie season. She had nothing but complimentary things to say about the Fever guard.

“I mean, it’s amazing what Caitlin’s been able to do in her short career so far — just been nothing short of remarkable,” Taurasi said. “The one thing that I really love about her, she loves the game. You can tell she’s put the work in. Even throughout her short WNBA career, it’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of things thrown at her, she keeps showing up, keeps getting better every single game.

“Her future is super bright. Being a veteran and being in this league for a long, long time, it’s pretty cool to see that and going into the future.”

Back in April, Taurasi was criticized for making comments regarding Clark’s transition into the league. In reality, the former WNBA MVP was trying to warn everyone that there would be a learning curve as she made the move from Iowa to Indiana.

“Look, SVP, reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing. And that’s life, we all went through it,” Taurasi told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt in April. “And you see it on the NBA side and you’re gonna see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come (into a league) with some grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time.

“Not saying that’s not gonna translate. Because when you’re great at what you do, you’re just gonna get better. But there is gonna be a transition period, where you’re gonna have to give yourself some grace as a rookie.”

Many took Taurasi’s comments out of context, considering it an attack against Clark.

But, as we saw on Sunday, Taurasi clearly has a lot of respect for Clark’s game and what she brings to the league.