Caitlin Clark was left laughing as Diana Taurasi referenced a prediction about the WNBA star that left her red-faced.
The former Iowa star made an appearance Sunday on The Bird and Taurasi Show, hosted by retired legends Sue Bird and Taurasi, for the women’s NCAA Tournament final.
For the biggest game of the college basketball season, it only made sense for the biggest women’s basketball star to join the show, which has served as ESPN’s alternate broadcast for the women’s Final Four.
While there was plenty of discussion around the March Madness finale between UConn and South Carolina, won by an emotional Paige Bueckers, it didn’t take long for Taurasi to bring up her infamous comments about Clark.
As she was introduced on the show, Clark congratulated the three-time WNBA champion on her recent retirement.
“Unfortunately, reality has come to me now,” Taurasi responded, making light of her suggestion that ‘reality was coming’ to Clark once she made the jump from college to the pro league in 2024.
“Had to get it in early.”
Taurasi also went on to offer Clark some career advice, noting that she is busier now than she’s ever been, and encouraged the Indiana Fever star to play basketball as long as she possibly can.
While the exchange was light-hearted and left the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year smiling, many fans have not forgotten the warning Taurasi offered last April.
The 20-year veteran, who was the first overall pick of the 2004 draft, predicted that Clark may struggle early on in her career.
“Look… Reality is coming (for Clark). There’s levels to this thing,” Taurasi, who herself is one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, told ESPN in 2024.
“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 (be playing against) some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.
“Not saying (Clark’s skills) are 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.”
Clark, of course, proved Taurasi wrong almost immediately.
She has already established herself as the WNBA’s biggest star, and helped turn the Fever into a playoff team as he smashed multiple rookie records in her debut season.
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A two-time NBA champion also recently admitted that he was left starstruck by Clark.
In perhaps an ominous warning to her WNBA rivals, the 23-year-old on Sunday revealed she is trying to get ‘stronger’ for next season.
Discussing a viral photo of her offseason body transformation and huge arms, she joked: “It was the camera angle, the editing. AI is getting out of control!
“No, honestly, I’m just trying to get stronger, spending a lot of time in the weights room.
“It’s something I enjoy, it’s been pretty easy for me to spend time in there and work on that part of my game.”
The Fever begin their 2025 pre-season in less than a month, before taking on the Chicago Sky in their regular-season opener on May 17.
