Diana Taurasi
 |
|
| Position | Shooting guard/Point guard |
|---|---|
| Height | ft in ( m) |
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg) |
| Team | Phoenix Mercury |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | June 11 1982  Chino, California |
| College | UConn |
| Draft | 1st overall, 2004 Phoenix Mercury |
| Pro career | 2004 – present |
| Awards | Big East Player of the Year (2003, 2004) Wade Trophy (2003) Naismith Award (2003, 2004) NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2003, 2004) WNBA Rookie of the Year (2004) All-WNBA First Team (2004, 2007) WNBA All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007) |
Diana Lurena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982 in Chino, California) is a professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
College years
Following a highly decorated high school career, Taurasi enrolled at the University of Connecticut (UConn) and suited up for the women's basketball team during the 2000-2001 season. Playing primarily at point guard and shooting guard, she led the team to three straight NCAA championships, the last one coming in the 2003-2004 season. Leading up to that final championship, her coach, Geno Auriemma, would declare his likelihood of winning with the claim, "We have Diana, and you don't."
Taurasi also received many personal accolades at UConn, including the 2003 and 2004 Naismith College Player of the Year awards, the 2003 Wade Trophy and 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year award. She averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in her collegiate career.
WNBA career
Following her collegiate career, Taurasi was selected first overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, a team that went 8-26 in the 2003 season.
Taurasi netted 26 points and led the Mercury to an 84-76 victory over the Seattle Storm in her WNBA debut. For the season, the rookie averaged 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Although the Mercury did not qualify for the playoffs, the season was a personal success as Taurasi was named to the Western Conference All Star team and won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2005, Taurasi averaged 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while battling an ankle injury. She was an All Star for the second straight year, but the Mercury faded down the stretch and again missed the playoffs.
Former NBA coach Paul Westhead became the Mercury's head coach prior to the 2006 season and brought his up-tempo style to Phoenix. Their roster was further bolstered by the addition of rookie Cappie Pondexter, the #2 overall selection in the 2006 WNBA Draft.
Taurasi flourished under Westhead's system, leading the league in scoring and earning a third straight trip to the All Star Game. She broke Katie Smith's league records for points in a season (741 during the 2006 season) and in a game (47 vs. Houston on August 10). In 2006, Taurasi averaged a record 25.3 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. The Mercury finished 18-16, but lost a tie-breaker with Houston and Seattle and missed the playoffs.
In 2007, Taurasi got her first taste of the WNBA playoffs. In the first round, her Mercury eliminated the Seattle Storm 2 games to none. Next, they took down the San Antonio Silver Stars in a hard fought two game series. Taurasi got to her first WNBA Finals, but had the defending champion Detroit Shock in her team's way. After a hard-fought series, Diana and Pondexter led the Mercury to their first WNBA title. With this victory Taurasi became just the sixth player ever to win an NCAA title, a WNBA title as well as an Olympic gold medal. The others to achieve this trifecta are Ruth Riley, Sheryl Swoopes, and fellow Huskies Swin Cash, Kara Wolters, and Sue Bird.
International career
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | |||
| Competitor for United States |
|||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Gold | 2004 Athens | Team Competition | |
| World Championship | |||
| Bronze | 2006 Brazil | Team Competition | |
On May 12, 2004, she was selected to represent the United States with the US Women's National Basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She helped the United States capture the gold medal, defeating Australia in the championship game.
Taurasi has also earned a bronze medal as a member of the 2001 USA Junior World Championship team and a gold medal as a member of the 2000 USA Basketball Women’s Junior World Championship Qualifying team.
Overseas career
Europe
- 2005-2006:
ŽBK Dynamo
Moscow - 2006-2007: Spartak
Moscow Region
Vital statistics
- Position: Guard
- Height: 6 ft. 0 in. / 1.83 m
- College: University of Connecticut
- Team(s): Phoenix Mercury
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cheryl Ford |
WNBA Rookie of the
Year 2004 |
Succeeded by Temeka Johnson |
| Preceded by Sue Bird |
Naismith College
Player of the Year (women's) 2003–2004 |
Succeeded by Seimone Augustus |
| Preceded by Sue Bird |
Wade Trophy 2003 |
Succeeded by Alana Beard |
| Preceded by Swin Cash |
NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (women's) 2003–2004 |
Succeeded by Sophia Young |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by LaToya Thomas |
1st Overall
Pick in WNBA Draft 2004 |
Succeeded by Janel McCarville |
| Women's National Basketball Association | WNBA's All-Decade Team |
|---|
| Sue Bird •
Tamika Catchings • Cynthia Cooper • Yolanda Griffith •
Lauren Jackson • Lisa Leslie •
Katie Smith • Dawn Staley • Sheryl Swoopes • Tina Thompson Ruthie Bolton • Chamique Holdsclaw • Ticha Penicheiro • Diana Taurasi • Teresa Weatherspoon (Honorable mention) |
See also
External links
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