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INDIANAPOLIS — Sophie Cunningham has played with a lot of WNBA legends in her time in the league.
Spending the first six years of her career with the Phoenix Mercury, Cunningham played alongside both Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner in the desert.
By being traded to the Fever ahead of this season, Cunningham went from the end of one GOAT’s career in Taurasi to the beginning of another in Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. That’s what she thinks, at least.
“I think anytime you play with the GOAT of our league (Taurasi), you're gonna learn a lot,” Cunningham said. “You know, you always have to be ready for the ball, head on a swivel at all times. The way that (Clark) throws balls is a lot like how DT threw it.
“I think this is just the younger version of her. (Clark) has a little bit more energy, a little bit more spunk. I missed DT in her prime, but that doesn't mean she wasn't great when I played with her. But honestly, at the end of the day, everybody can shoot. If you're cutting and you're open, you're gonna get the ball.”
Taurasi, widely regarded as the GOAT (greatest of all time) in the WNBA, played her entire 20-year career with the Mercury and retired following the 2024 season.
The former point guard is WNBA's all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points, and ranks fourth with 2,394 assists. She won six gold medals with Team USA, dating back to the 2004 Olympics, and was a fixture in the women’s basketball world for two decades.
Clark has consistently been compared to Taurasi. They’re both sharp point guards who have great floor vision, are one step ahead and can find more and more ways to get crafty passes to their teammates.
They’re also similar in their feistiness on the court, making their perspectives known to the referees and getting technical fouls more than the typical player.
Taurasi was suspended four times over her 20 years in the league for getting too many technical fouls, including twice in the 2013 season. It became a running joke for the longtime veteran, who was asked what her favorite technical was in her retirement news conference.
Clark got six techs in her rookie season in 2024, coming one away from getting suspended for a game. Some of them were “dumb,” she told Taurasi on the 'Bird and Taurasi Show' during the 2025 national championship, but they were counted all the same.
“Obviously, every front office tries to get your technicals taken away, and they wouldn't take any of mine away," Clark said on the podcast "I got two for slapping the stanchion of the hoop and I got another one for accidentally hitting someone in the eye. So half of them weren't even me getting to talk to the refs, which was dumb."
Taurasi may have retired following the 2024 season, but in more ways than one, Clark is going to keep her spirit alive, whether it’s through mind-blowing assists, scoring feats or racking up techs — even if she told Fever coach Stephanie White she’s only getting two this season.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is Caitlin Clark younger version of Diana Taurasi? Sophie Cunningham thinks so
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Spending the first six years of her career with the Phoenix Mercury, Cunningham played alongside both Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner in the desert.
By being traded to the Fever ahead of this season, Cunningham went from the end of one GOAT’s career in Taurasi to the beginning of another in Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. That’s what she thinks, at least.
“I think anytime you play with the GOAT of our league (Taurasi), you're gonna learn a lot,” Cunningham said. “You know, you always have to be ready for the ball, head on a swivel at all times. The way that (Clark) throws balls is a lot like how DT threw it.
“I think this is just the younger version of her. (Clark) has a little bit more energy, a little bit more spunk. I missed DT in her prime, but that doesn't mean she wasn't great when I played with her. But honestly, at the end of the day, everybody can shoot. If you're cutting and you're open, you're gonna get the ball.”
Taurasi, widely regarded as the GOAT (greatest of all time) in the WNBA, played her entire 20-year career with the Mercury and retired following the 2024 season.
The former point guard is WNBA's all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points, and ranks fourth with 2,394 assists. She won six gold medals with Team USA, dating back to the 2004 Olympics, and was a fixture in the women’s basketball world for two decades.
Clark has consistently been compared to Taurasi. They’re both sharp point guards who have great floor vision, are one step ahead and can find more and more ways to get crafty passes to their teammates.
They’re also similar in their feistiness on the court, making their perspectives known to the referees and getting technical fouls more than the typical player.
Taurasi was suspended four times over her 20 years in the league for getting too many technical fouls, including twice in the 2013 season. It became a running joke for the longtime veteran, who was asked what her favorite technical was in her retirement news conference.
Clark got six techs in her rookie season in 2024, coming one away from getting suspended for a game. Some of them were “dumb,” she told Taurasi on the 'Bird and Taurasi Show' during the 2025 national championship, but they were counted all the same.
“Obviously, every front office tries to get your technicals taken away, and they wouldn't take any of mine away," Clark said on the podcast "I got two for slapping the stanchion of the hoop and I got another one for accidentally hitting someone in the eye. So half of them weren't even me getting to talk to the refs, which was dumb."
Taurasi may have retired following the 2024 season, but in more ways than one, Clark is going to keep her spirit alive, whether it’s through mind-blowing assists, scoring feats or racking up techs — even if she told Fever coach Stephanie White she’s only getting two this season.
Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Indiana Fever newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is Caitlin Clark younger version of Diana Taurasi? Sophie Cunningham thinks so
Continue reading...
