Diana Taurasi Had Strong Words About Caitlin Clark’s Level of Play originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark may continue to be out due to a strained groin, but her impact on the WNBA and women’s basketball in general continues to be felt.
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Dating back to her final season at Iowa, she has brought many new fans to the sport, and as a result, the WNBA has seen a big spike in interest and ratings. She has also turned the Fever, a franchise that hasn’t finished over .500 since 2015, into winners and possibly even dark horse championship contenders.
Jun 22, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball against Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images© Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Diana Taurasi, who was a legend in her own right and recently retired after an outstanding career, made a comment about Clark’s impact on the sport.
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Taurasi feels Clark will continue to take the WNBA to new heights
Taurasi said that Clark will continue to influence the league as a whole as the years go by.
“She’s taken her game and moved the game forward,” she said. “…She loves the game of basketball. She works at it. She plays at a level no one has reached yet in the WNBA. She’s going to take this league as far as she wants.”
Taurasi played 20 seasons in the league and finished her career with averages of 18.8 points and 4.2 assists a game. She spent her whole career with the Phoenix Mercury and led them to three championships while leading the league in scoring five times.
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But she mostly played during a time when the WNBA was more of a punchline than a thriving league.
That has largely changed in a short amount of time thanks to the so-called “Caitlin Clark effect.”
A look at the “Caitlin Clark effect” on the WNBA
In 2024, Clark’s rookie season, the WNBA achieved record highs in television viewership. According to a press release from the league, its 2024 viewership across ESPN platforms was a whopping 170% higher compared to the previous season. Viewership on CBS Sports increased by 86%, while viewership on NBA TV was more than four times higher than it was in 2023.
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Attendance at games also increased by 48%, while there were 242% more sellouts than there were in 2023.
As of the end of July, viewership for nationally televised WNBA games this season was up 21% from 2024—in fact, viewership for non-Fever contests has risen 37% from last season.
Clark has become a major celebrity and one of the biggest names in basketball among both men and women, and one has to assume she is becoming a major role model for young girls across the nation.
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The Fever keep thriving without their superstar
Clark has been out since mid-July, and yet the Fever has largely thrived without her.
She last played on July 15, and since then, the team has won five of its nine games, which included a five-game winning streak. Although they lost the last two games, Fever currently hold a 17-14 record, which is the WNBA’s fifth-best mark.
Multiple players have stepped up in Clark’s absence, including All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell and former No. 3 overall draft pick Aari McDonald, a guard Indiana brought in as a free agent early this season.
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Perhaps Clark’s multiple injuries this season will turn out to be a blessing in disguise by allowing other players to step up and gain confidence, which can only help them later on.
Related: Natasha Howard Sends Clear Message on Caitlin Clark’s Replacement
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
