Caitlin Clark vs Diana Taurasi: WNBA Rookie Year Comparison
Caitlin Clark and Diana Taurasi will face off for the first time ever when the Indiana Fever play the Phoenix Mercury in WNBA action this weekend. Of course the matchup will be hotly anticipated, not just because Taurasi was once voted the league's GOAT and Clark has been anointed the presumptive future greatest, but also due to what Diana has said about Caitlin in the past.
Taurasi recently spoke on the upcoming showdown and simply said, "It'll be fun." She's not wrong, even if her response was quite succinct. So given the hype that is sure to come, I thought it would be fun to compare the two when it comes to their respective rookie seasons. This is how Clark's first 19-career games stack up against Taurasi's initial season in 2004.
WNBA Rookie Stats | Caitlin Clark | Diana Taurasi |
|---|---|---|
Points | 16.2 | 17 |
FG% | 40.1 | 41.6 |
3PT% | 35.5 | 33 |
Rebounds | 5.5 | 4.4 |
Assists | 6.6 | 3.9 |
Blocks | 0.9 | 0.7 |
Steals | 1.4 | 1.3 |
Turnovers | 5.6 | 2.6 |
As you can see, Taurasi has the ever so slight edge when it comes to scoring, but Clark is tracking better in nearly every other statistical category. Caitlin is even shooting the three better despite the distance she pulls from, which is further than the likes of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard and Trae Young have ever averaged.
Caitlin Clark has an average 3PT shot distance of 28.04 feet (WNBA 3PT line is roughly 22 feet).
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) June 14, 2024
Her 2.6 3PM is the most by a rookie since 1997. pic.twitter.com/lgP5Z4k4Uf
Of course the Fever star has turned the ball over at a much higher rate, which she will need to curtail, though some of that has been a result of unprecedented defensive attention combined with her penchant for playmaking. But Diana has the decisive edge in that category. Taurasi has also always been a proven defender.
The numbers do show however that Caitlin Clark has adjusted to reality quite nicely and is very much not struggling to adapt to the WNBA. What better way to display that then a head-to-head comparison against the legendary Diana Taurasi?
Taurasi is currently averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in her 20th season, compared to Clark's 16.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists as a rookie.
ROBIN LUNDBERG
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!