"Still waiting on the 'reality' to hit": Patrick McCaffery mocks Diana Taurasi after Caitlin Clark wins AP Rookie of the Year unanimously
Butler forward Patrick McCaffery continues to be Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark's biggest supporter, apparently calling out the claim made by WNBA great Diana Taurasi before the 2024 season began. Previously, he mockingly quoted Taurasi's famous "reality is coming" quote in a post detailing every record the Fever rookie broke this year.
On Sunday, McCaffery continued in his taunting as he referenced the same quote in a post announcing Clark's latest achievement: Associated Press Rookie of the Year. The Fever shared the news on Instagram, writing:
"@caitlinclark22... 🏆 AP All-WNBA First Team 🏆 AP Rookie of the Year (unanimous) 🏆 AP All-Rookie Team is her."
Patrick McCaffery, who left the Iowa Hawkeyes after the 2023-24 season to join the Bulldogs, reacted to the news in the comments section of the post, writing:
"still waiting on the 'reality' to hit ?????"
McCaffery also shared the post on his Instagram story and added:
"Is the 'reality' just a little late? Maybe it's still on its way."
In April, Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi spoke to SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt during the Women's NCAA Tournament. When asked about Clark's potential move to the WNBA, Taurasi said:
"Reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life. We all went through it. … You look superhuman playing 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come with some grown women that’ve been playing professional basketball for a long time."
Caitlin Clark continues to turn naysayers into fans
Despite the initial doubts, Caitlin Clark has proved her worth and taken over the league, breaking record after record. She led the Fever to victory in all three games they played against Diana Taurasi's Mercury.
This has forced the veteran to take her words back, and she has since showered Clark with the praise she deserves.
"It's amazing. What Caitlin's been able to do in her short career so far has been nothing short of remarkable," Taurasi told reporters in July. "The one thing that I really love about her ... 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 and she keeps showing up and she keeps getting better every single game. So her future is super bright."
Diana Taurasi also spoke about Clark leading Indiana to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The veteran said the rookie phenom was exactly what the team needed and called her efforts impressive.
Also read: Pelicans star Dejounte Murray fires direct shot at Sheryl Swoopes while reacting to Caitlin Clark's list of records: "She’s not DOMINATING"