Diana Taurasi

Diana Taurasi
No. 3 – Phoenix Mercury
PositionShooting guard / Point guard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1982-06-11) June 11, 1982 (age 42)
Glendale, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight163 lb (74 kg)
Career information
High schoolDon Antonio Lugo
(Chino, California)
CollegeUConn (2000–2004)
WNBA draft2004: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Phoenix Mercury
Playing career2004–Present
Career history
2004–presentPhoenix Mercury
2005–2006Dynamo Moscow
2006–2010Spartak Moscow
2010–2011Fenerbahçe
2011–2012Galatasaray Medical Park
2012–2017UMMC Ekaterinburg
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Team
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2010 Czech Republic
Gold medal – first place 2014 Turkey
Gold medal – first place 2018 Spain
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Brazil

Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Taurasi is widely recognized as one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time.

She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. Taurasi has won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2004), three WNBA championships (2007, 2009, and 2014), six Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024),[1][2][3] one WNBA Most Valuable Player Award (2009), two WNBA Finals MVP Awards (2009 and 2014), five scoring titles (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011), and three FIBA World Cups (2010, 2014, and 2018). She has also been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams and fourteen All-WNBA teams (including ten first-team selections). In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and was named by the league to its 20th and 25th anniversary teams, respectively the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021.[4] Also in 2021, she was selected by fans as the league's greatest player of all time.[5] On June 18, 2017, Taurasi became the WNBA all-time leading scorer.[6]

Her penchant for scoring in crucial situations has earned her the nickname "White Mamba", coined by Kobe Bryant.[7] Taurasi is one of 11 women to win an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup, and a WNBA Championship.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference espn-ap202408 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "The Olympic history of UConn's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi". CT Post. August 8, 2021. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Gregory, Sean (August 11, 2024). "U.S. Women's Basketball Team Wins Gold in Startlingly Close Paris Olympics Final". Time. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  4. ^ "WNBA Continues Celebration Of Landmark 25th Season, Names Greatest Players In League History, "The W25"" (Press release). WNBA. September 5, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "Diana Taurasi Voted By Fans As WNBA's Greatest Player of All Time" (Press release). WNBA. October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "Taurasi becomes WNBA all-time leading scorer". ESPN.com. June 18, 2017.
  7. ^ "Calling it a 'bittersweet moment,' Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi scores season-high 34 while wearing Kobe Bryant's No. 8". ESPN. August 24, 2020.