Caitlin Clark earned Diana Taurasi’s respect in latest Fever win over Mercury

When Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA, she was expected to be met with a ton of respect and appreciation for the attention that she was bringing to the game. She was responsible for a record amount of media coverage and attention for women's college basketball and that coverage and attention followed her to the WNBA.

But, instead of being met with respect and appreciation, Clark was accepted into the league with jealousy, animosity and downright disrespect. It was as if the other players were blind to the attention that Clark was bringing to them as well. Clark adding eyes to the game means that more eyes will get to see the other incredibly talented women in the league.

While the respect has come slowly, it's beginning to come around more notably. This time, it was one of the league's all-time greats who voiced her respect for the young Fever star, after a recent game between the Indiana Fever and the Phoenix Mercury.

WNBA legend Diana Taurasi shows respect to rookie Caitlin Clark after loss to Fever

For those that don't know and understand how big of a legend Diana Taurasi truly is, here's a little break down on what she's accomplished.

She's the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history, scoring 3000 more points than second place, with a record that should stand for years to come. Taurasi won the Rookie of the Year back in 2004 and the MVP in 2009. She's a ten time All-Star and has finished top ten in MVP voting 13 times in her illustrious career.

For Clark to gain her respect is a true testament to Clark's ability and acceptance to the league.

Taurasi touched on how remarkable Clark has done in a short time in the WNBA.

Before the game, Clark can be seen embracing Taurasi and her teammate Britney Griner, another of the league's historic faces.

While the respect and admiration for Clark began slowly, it's surely gaining steam. WNBA is finally gaining the attention that it deserves, much in part to Clark and her ability to captivate fans with her skillset.

While Clark is getting new fans to tune in and watch, the rest of the league is responsible for keeping those eyes on the games and they're doing a great job of it. WNBA is growing and so is the league's respect for Caitlin Clark.