The tension was instantly visible on the court. Five technical fouls and a Flagrant 1 foul were called in the first half alone. Another Flagrant 1 foul was called before the game ended.
Things got particularly chippy with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter. Both teams appeared to huddle right next to each other after a foul was called on the Mercury’s Natasha Mack. A bunch of hand-checking and pushing ensued, leading to both teams having to be separated. Offsetting technical fouls were called against Indiana's Erica Wheeler and Temi Fagbenle and the Mercury's Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud.
Amid the chaos and subsequent review of the play, Clark, 22, and Taurasi, who turned 42 in June, gathered at half court and shared a friendly exchange. Clark and Taurasi paid mutual respect to each other, even sharing an embrace before tipoff, despite online discourse pitting veterans against rookies.
"(Taurasi) was probably one of the first women’s basketball players that I grew up idolizing and really knowing," Clark said ahead of the game. "I just admired the way she played the game and the fire that she played with. It’s impressive that she’s still able to play this game at such a high level and produce like she does."
"It's amazing what Caitlin's been able to do in her short career so far. It's been nothing short of remarkable," said Taurasi, who finished with 19 points, three rebounds and three steals. "The one thing I really love her is that she loves that game. You can tell she puts the work in. ... It's been a lot of pressure and a lot of things thrown at her and she keeps showing up and keeps getting better every single game. Her future is super bright."
Taurasi added: "Being a veteran and being in this league a long, long time, it's pretty cool to see that."
The Mercury had an 11-point lead at halftime, but the Fever went on a 27-2 run in the third quarter, spurred by the Fever's Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell played a little more than five minutes in the first half and was held scoreless, but she exploded for nine points in the third quarter, all coming from beyond the arc.
