“When it’s done, it’s done.” This is what the 42-year-old Olympian Diana Taurasi told the Associated Press about her Team USA career. Now, the basketball icon has her final hurrah with the red, white, and blue. With a nerve-wracking win over France in the Gold Medal game, she holds the record for the most Olympic golds in US basketball history.

She already had five gold medals, going far back to 2004, in her gauntlet heading into Paris. So far, her averages for Team USA in the last five Olympics are also worth mentioning, with 10.9 points per game shooting almost 46% from the field. Despite getting prepared to bid adieu to her national career for good, however, the Phoenix Mercury star is not slowing down. Let us re-live her two-decades-long journey.

Diana Taurasi’s national career in numbers: The origin and the end game

Interestingly, the then UConn Husky won gold with the national team long before she stepped into the WNBA. Back in July 2000, she was part of the roster that won the FIBA Americas Championship held in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. That was her very first stint representing the USA. After an outstanding career in the NCAA under Geno Auriemma, the guard entered the WNBA.

As a rookie, the USWNT selection committee chose her to play in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Team USA, led by stalwarts like Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, and Sue Bird, won a gold. Then, despite playing limited minutes, she averaged 8.5 points going 37% from the field. She was among the top five scorers in the Athens team.

Since then, Taurasi has led Team USA to four more Olympic titles. These were in Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio de Janeiro (2016), and the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In the last four Olympic games, she has contributed 11.5 points per game. She has also added to the team with 4 rebounds per game.

In her recent interview with ESPN, the WNBA legend with a decorated resume broke the news of her retirement. “It’s definitely it for USA basketball.” Hence, this year was probably the guard’s final time playing in the famous US jersey. Still, she will be ending her national career with 419 points (2nd most in US Olympic history), 119 rebounds, and 103 assists. She also has the most 3-point field goals made with 78, 33 steals, and 7 blocks in the last six Olympics.

But winning with Team USA is not the only way that Diana Taurasi is showcasing her potential.

Peeking into the leadership of the legend

Whether it is the WNBA or Team USA, Diana Taurasi is one of the players who always gives her best. Earlier this month, she discussed her choice to go to Paris with AP. “Why not? I say this all the time: If I sign up to play, I sign up to play,” the guard spoke up on playing with the best team and against the best players in the world.

When Cheryl Reeve, Team USA’s head coach, was asked about the legend’s presence, she only had words of praise. She told AP, “No one has done it more than her. There’s no substitute for that level of experience. We’re going to count on her voice, and that experience she has is incredible and valuable.”

Apart from the leadership, her mere presence can also be quite beneficial for the team. Taurasi was only 74 points away from her former teammate Lisa Leslie to snatch the top position for all-time leading scorer in USA Olympics history ahead of this tournament. Moreover, she was already leading the list with most games played. Hence, the experience speaks for itself.

Even in the WNBA, she is the only player who crossed the 10,000-point mark, doing so back in 2021. In the 28th iteration of the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is averaging 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Certainly, a high-octane output despite being the oldest basketball player not just in the WNBA but also in the NBA at present. However, age is also just a number that the stellar professional athlete wishes to get the better of.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.