With Diana Taurasi Retiring, Revisit Top 5 Moments of Her Elusive Team USA Career

The history is in the making! Diana Taurasi has been in the WNBA and Team USA for 20 years now. Alas, the latter would soon end. The 42-year-old has a long list of accolades that bejewel her already shining crown. Still, she is on the quest to add one more gem before she says a final goodbye. After Candace Parker’s sudden retirement announcement before the 28th WNBA season starter, we have another such news.

However, she has promised that for the time being, she will return to the Phoenix Mercury. The fan-voted GOAT of the WNBA has had moments of true glory, whether you look at her 3x National Championships, 3x World Championship titles, or her national career with 8 combined gold medals, she has been nothing short of a great player. Hence, as she bids adieu to her red, white, and blue jersey after this journey to France, let us recollect the top five moments that show her true capabilities as a point guard and basketball player.

1. A case of gold for Diana Taurasi

It is not a usual thing to play at a professional level and continue to set records past the age of 40. However, Diana Taurasi is not one of those. With her national career in perspective, the Phoenix Mercury star is reaching for her 6th consecutive gold in the Paris Olympics. Currently, she ties with her Husky teammate and former WNBA peer Sue Bird for five gold medals in the Olympics. Interestingly, she will be the only basketball player to have this many Olympic gold medals in the USA.

Another intriguing tidbit from her national career is the fact that Dawn Staley, head coach of South Carolina, was her teammate in the 2004 Athens Olympics. The latter was her coach for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Additionally, her Team USA career also boasts of three world champions gold medals, and a bronze in 2006. Not to mention, she is a 3x WNBA champion. Apart from this, her international career has also been laid out with champion titles. In all, she has titles from the EuroLeague, Russian National League, and Turkish National League. She also has 3x NCAA DI championship titles in her gauntlet, bringing her to a collection of few names that have won a championship at every level. But she also prides herself on being a pioneer in many things.

2. Diana Taurasi leads the rest

The Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant called Diana Taurasi the ‘White Mamba’ for her relentless pursuit of greatness. But she had the mamba mentality long before she became the first WNBA athlete to ever reach the 10,000 points mark. The point guard was an integral part of Team USA before she even set foot in the WNBA, or the NCAA for that matter. She won a gold in the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. The competition was held in July 2000.

Under Geno Auriemma’s tutelage, she won 3 National Championships and set a record for most three-pointers in NCAA Division I WBB. The record stood until earlier this year when Caitlin Clark finally broke it. The Phoenix Mercury drafted her as the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. She has since then been loyal to the franchise. Diana Taurasi was also one of the few female athletes of the WNBA to be selected for Team USA as a rookie.

3. An official legend of the WNBA

In 2011, the fans voted her to be amongst the WNBA’s Top-15 Players of All Time. The story continued as after a decade in 2021, the fans again voted for her as the league’s Greatest of All Time. But until then, she had already become one of the only 11 women to win championships at every level. These include an Olympic gold, NCAA champions title, WNBA title, and a FIBA World Cup.

So far, USA Basketball has named her the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year four times. The honor is given to the female basketball player with top performances in the year’s international competitions. She got it for 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2016. But even in the WNBA, she is doing much more than anyone ever has.

4. Diana Taurasi is all about records

The say-it-as-it-is mentality and behavior of the former Husky may not be loved by everyone. But the real ones understand her stance. She also proves her worth at every given moment. Despite her age, Diana Taurasi continues to showcase the best that she can. Hence, she is the all-time WNBA scoring leader. Her 14x All-WNBA Team is the most by any athlete in the league.

She has also been a 5× WNBA scoring champion. Four of these have been in consecutive years from 2008 to 2011. She was the assist leader in the WNBA for the 2014 season. Additionally, she has been a WNBA Peak Performer six times in her 20-year career. Interestingly, the record was consecutive for three years again from 2009 to 2011.

5. She has a court named after in Phoenix

Not many get to boast that they have been wearing USA across their chest for over 20 years. Neither can many say how they have played with an array of greats, legends, and to-be superstars. However, that is not the case for Diana Taurasi. Still, when it comes to talking about retirement, she only has this to say, “I think you know. I’ve had plenty of friends who have retired, and I pick their brain. They say, ‘You’ll know. Your gut’s never wrong.” While she is not announcing her retirement from the league anytime soon, she did throw the towel for Team USA as she passed the torch along.

But before the 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend, which many, including Chiney Ogwumike, mentioned to be the best All-Star so far, Mat Ishbia and the Mercury franchise gifted their legend’s name to their court. In fact, the very first practice of Team USA this month was initiated by her first basket in her court.

Seeing a superstar like Diana Taurasi living the athlete-version of the American Dream has certainly been a bright point in many people’s lives. However, like every race, this one too has come to its finish line. Still, we will get to see this decorated athlete wear the Phoenix Mercury jersey, at least for this year.

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.