Phoenix Mercury Take Subtle Dig at Caitlin Clark Before WNBA Game
The Indiana Fever are set to play their first WNBA game since July 17 on Friday, as they host the Phoenix Mercury at home.
The 14-12 Mercury resumed their regular season after the Paris 2024 Olympics break with a dominant 85-65 win over the Chicago Sky on Thursday. While Phoenix appeared to be the much stronger, more energized team in that game against Angel Reese and Company, them playing on the second leg of a back-to-back against Indiana's fast-paced offense could produce some problems.
What's for sure is that the Mercury's social media team is well-prepared for this game against rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, which is proven by a TikTok post they made ahead of Friday's game.
The post begins with a fan sitting on the couch, saying, "I miss the WNBA. Caitlin, where are you?"
Then a young Mercury fan is shown at a game with a sign that reads, "Who's Caitlin? I'm here for Taurasi," in addition to them saying, "Who is Caitlin? I'm here for Taurasi."
Then the TikTok (which is captioned, "we’ll take our six-time gold medalist any day of the week, thank you") shows a montage of Taurasi making shots and celebrating in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
While the Mercury's dig is lighthearted, it's also an undeniable reference to Clark's popularity.
Social media posts aside, Clark and her Fever team have had a clear advantage over Taurasi and the Mercury on the court this season. They're currently 2-0 against Phoenix, with a 95-86 win on July 12 and a 88-82 victory on June 30.
Friday's game will be the final time these two WNBA teams face off in the 2024 regular season.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.