Caitlin Clark, Diana Taurasi squash beef at Mercury loss to Fever

Five technical fouls. Two Flagrant 1s. And none called on Diana Taurasi or Caitlin Clark.

Sunday’s Phoenix Mercury game against the Indiana Fever was chippy to say the least, but it wasn’t because of the matchup everyone had eagerly anticipated.

With Taurasi’s 20-plus years in the WNBA, five Olympic trips and records upon records, audiences waited in anticipation for the duel after Taurasi told SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt that “reality is coming” earlier this year.

But the reality is just that both players are looking to win. Both are looking to grow the league and to pave the way for women’s sports, win championships and nothing more.

Taurasi crushed any beef, perceived or otherwise, ahead of Sunday’s game. She took the floor, tucked in her jersey and walked straight over to the rookie. The two hugged it out seconds before tip-off.

This isn’t the rookie against the vet. Taurasi’s pregame, in-game and postgame acknowledgement confirmed that it really is just competitor against competitor.

“What Caitlin has been able to do in her short career so far is nothing short of remarkable,” Taurasi said after the Mercury loss. “One thing I love about her (Clark) is that she loves the game. You can tell she’s put the work in.

“Even throughout her short WBNA career, she’s had a lot of pressure, a lot of things thrown at her, and she keeps showing up and getting better in games.”

The rest of the rosters didn’t seem so keen to keep outside attention outside the arena.

Tensions rose, and technicals were thrown out to Griner in the first quarter, Natasha Cloud, Kahleah Copper and the Fever’s Temi Fagbenle and Erica Wheeler in the second.

“That’s just kind of who we are,” Tibbets said about the chippy plays in the postgame news conference.

Taurasi took the time when refs were replaying the four-technical-foul play to approach Clark once again. The two stood at half court, talking back and forth and laughing as technicals were handed out to their teammates.

The Clark effect made its way into the stands and onto the jerseys of the X-Factor, the Mercury’s intense and loyal fanbase, at the Sunday matchup. The Mercury’s hometown crowd didn’t seem to really be there to support the home town.

The crowd was littered with Clark jerseys, her red, blue and yellow “22” sprinkled throughout every level of the arena. The X-Factor largely swapped out their normal Taurasi, Copper and Griner gear to support the rookie phenomenon.

They were ready to follow Clark into battle, even if it was against their own team. They lined the first few rows in all directions at Footprint Center, waiting eagerly with their pens, posters and jerseys ready for the Iowa alum to sign.

“It’s strange for sure,” Taurasi said about hearing the X-Factor cheer for both the Fever and the Mercury.

Some fans, sitting side by side, shoulder to shoulder with Clark fanatics stayed true to the Mercury, holding a sign that said “Who’s Caitlin? I’m here for Diana Taurasi” and breaking out posters for Brittney Griner to sign when she left the court after warmups. A few loud and proud stayed committed, dawning Mercury jerseys.

Clark’s arrival in the Valley brought out Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. The All-Star guard sat courtside next to Mercury and Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia. Even though Clark’s presence probably helped in his decision to attend Sunday’s game, Booker stayed true to his town, cheering on the Mercury and signing autographs for fans in the stands.

The much-anticipated game and all the hype and attention that came with it didn’t affect how head coach Nate Tibbets looked at the game plan. For him and the Mercury, it was just another day at the office.

Friday’s game against the Sparks brought 14,363 fans to Footprint Center. On Sunday, the arena reached 17,071 in attendance. When asked about the conversations Tibbetts had with his players after Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks regarding Sunday’s game, he kept it short.

“I told them ‘We are playing the Indiana Fever,’” Tibbetts said at Sunday’s pregame news conference.

For Taurasi and the Mercury, it was just another game. For Clark and the young Fever team, it was a chance to play against their idols, the veterans. Clark was ready, saying before the game that Taurasi is one of the players she admired as she grew up watching WNBA games. She called Taurasi the “best scorer the game has ever seen.”

For all the tension and controversy surrounding Clark and Taurasi’s relationship, the heat seemed to touch everyone but them during Sunday’s game. Taurasi finished the game with 19 points and Clark recorded another double-double — nearly the first-ever WNBA rookie triple-double — with 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.

With the 88-82 loss, the Mercury moved to 9-9 (7-3 at home). The fans of Iowa, the Indiana Fever and Clark made enough noise to play at least a small role in keeping Phoenix from protecting home court.

It proved that whatever the Clark effect may be, it seemed to work in the Valley.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diana Taurasi says Caitlin Clark is ‘remarkable’ after Mercury loss