Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was name-dropped at the ESPY Awards on Thursday by none other than tennis legend Serena Williams, who hosted the event.

Clark was nominated in three categories: the Best Athlete in Women’s Sports, the Best Record-breaking Performance, and the Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports.

Williams compared Clark to NBA legend Larry Bird in her opening spiel.

“You are the Larry Bird in that you are an amazing player, you have ties to Indiana, and white people are really crazy about you,” the tennis sensation quipped.

Bird, who joined the NBA in the 1978 draft out of Indiana State University, put the league on notice, much like Clark.

Clark, for her part, made history in the NCAA. She broke the all-time record for the points scored by a men’s or women’s basketball player, scoring a total of 3,951 points in four seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Clark averaged 28.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game in her collegiate career.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark at Barclays Center on June 2, 2024.

© Wendell Cruz–USA TODAY Sports

The first-year WNBA star has been sensational in her first year as a professional athlete despite experiencing some growing pains with the Fever, garnering a 9–12 record. She’s averaging 16.7 points and 7.6 assists per game, leading all rookies in both categories.

The high praise from Serena Williams is a great hat tip to the 22-year-old Fever star, who many believe has the potential to be one of the best women’s basketball players in WNBA history.