Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi is a prominent American professional basketball player, widely regarded as one of the greatest female athletes in the sport. Born on June 11, 1982, in Chino, California, Taurasi is of Argentinean descent and grew up in a bilingual household that emphasized her Latino heritage. Her basketball career began in earnest during high school, where she became a standout player, accumulating over 3,000 points and earning prestigious awards such as the Cheryl Miller Award. Taurasi continued her success at the University of Connecticut, leading the team to three national championships and receiving numerous accolades, including the Naismith Award.
After her college career, she was selected first overall in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury, where she quickly made her mark as a rookie of the year and a multiple-time WNBA champion. Taurasi is also a celebrated member of the U.S. women's national team, winning gold medals in four Olympic Games. Over her career, she has broken numerous records, including becoming the WNBA All-Time Leading Scorer. Off the court, Taurasi is married to fellow basketball player Penny Taylor, and they have two children together. Her contributions to basketball have inspired many young players, solidifying her legacy in the sport.
Diana Taurasi
- Born: June 11, 1982
- Place of Birth: Chino, California
American basketball player
Taurasi’s most important contribution was her devotion to a sport that demanded the best she had to give, but bestowed honors upon her in return. Her natural talent, once it had an opportunity to develop, made her into an all-round athlete whose maneuvers on court are seen as models of perfection.
Latino heritage: Argentinean
Born: June 11, 1982; Chino, California
Areas of achievement: Basketball
Early Life
Diana Lurena Taurasi was born June 11, 1982, the second of two daughters born to Mario, an Italian native raised in Argentina, and Liliana Taurasi, who was born in Argentina. The family spoke Spanish at home. Mario, a machinist in Chino, had been a professional soccer player in Italy. Tall and gangly Taurasi, a natural athlete, was encouraged not to be ashamed of her height.
Taurasi modeled much of her basketball playing style after Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers' star point guard. Understanding that the game required much more than just shooting the ball, Taurasi became a dominant passer and defender. Most of what she knew about basketball she learned in pickup games in the neighborhood; her first organized basketball games were in the sixth grade.
Taurasi attended Don Antonio Lugo High School in Chino, scoring more than 3,000 points and becoming a basketball standout. Throughout high school, she set records, and in her senior year she averaged 28.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists, catapulting her school into competition for the state title. She received The Los Angeles Times‘s Cheryl Miller Award, given to the top high school player in Southern California. She also was named an All-American by Parade magazine and Nike.
Pursued by countless colleges, Taurasi chose University of Connecticut, a women's basketball powerhouse coached by Geno Auriemma, whose disciplinarian approach would mold her into a superb ballplayer. In her sophomore year, Taurasi became a dominating scorer and quickly joined the ranks of the national elite. That season, Connecticut defeated Tennessee for the national championship. With Taurasi leading the way, Connecticut went on to win two more national titles, in 2003 and 2004.
Taurasi won the Naismith Award for player of the year and was named most outstanding player of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in both seasons.
Life's Work
After graduating from Connecticut, Taurasi was named to the United States Olympic team for the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece. Despite being the youngest member of the team, Taurasi scored 13 points in the first game to defeat Japan. The US team ultimately claimed the gold medal in Athens.
Next, Taurasi became the first overall selection in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. Signed by the Phoenix Mercury, she was named rookie of the year and earned a spot on the All-WNBA first team. However, the Mercury did not make the playoffs that year or the next.
At the beginning of Taurasi's third season in the WNBA, former National Basketball Association coach Paul Westhead took over as the Mercury's coach. Taurasi continued to break records, but the team was unable to make the playoffs. In 2007, the Mercury finally reached the postseason, and Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter led the team to a championship.
In 2009, Taurasi received the WNBA most valuable player (MVP) award and played a key role in defeating the Indiana Fever for the Mercury's second championship. She also was named the WNBA Finals MVP. In 2009, Taurasi was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and suspended for two games. She later entered a guilty plea and served one day of a ten-day sentence. In 2014, she won the WNBA championship again.
In August, 2010, Taurasi signed a multiyear extension with the Phoenix Mercury. During the offseason, she agreed to play in Turkey for the Fenerbahçe team. In January, 2011, Taurasi was suspended from the team after reportedly testing positive for modafinil, a banned stimulant. Taurasi denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs and was vindicated a month later when the laboratory announced that her test had been a false positive. That same year, she was voted one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time. Taurasi won three more Olympic gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016. She became the WNBA All-Time Leading Scorer in 2017.
Taurasi, as a member of the US women's national basketball team, won additional gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. In 2021, Taurasi made history by becoming the first WNBA player to score 9,000 career points and topped 10,000 in 2023. Despite breaking a bone in her foot in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, Taurasi returned in time to play in the second round, where she set a record for being the oldest WNBA player to score more than 30 points in a game. Taurasi made her eleventh WNBA All-Star Team in 2024.
Taurasi is married to Penny Taylor, who was a fellow player for the Mercury before joining the team's front office. They have one son and one daughter together.
Significance
Taurasi is one of the most dominant women’s basketball players of her generation and has excelled in the highest levels of her sport, leading many to consider her among the greatest of all time. A prolific scorer and well-rounded player, three-time champion and six-time Olympic gold medalist Taurasi has inspired a new generation of basketball players to emulate her.
See also:; ; ; .
Bibliography
Auriemma, Geno, and Jackie MacMullen. Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection. Foreword by Diana Taurasi. New York: Grand Central, 2009.
Baker, Christine A. Why She Plays: The World of Women’s Basketball. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2008.
Cash, Meredith. “The WNBA’s Diana Taurasi is making a strong case to be this season’s MVP—16 years after her debut.” Insider.com, September 8, 2020. . Accessed 3 Sept. 2024.
Deford, Frank. “UConn’s Flashy Finish.” Sports Illustrated 100, no. 16 (April 19, 2004): 64.
"Diana Taurasi." Basketball Reference, 2024, www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/t/tauradi01w.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024.
Grundy, Pamela, and Susan Shackelford. Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.
Negley, Cassandra. “Diana Taurasi First to Reach Milestone 9,000 Points in WNBA.” Yahoo! Sports, 27 Jun. 2021, sports.yahoo.com/diana-taurasi-first-to-reach-milestone-9000-points-in-wnba-223445936.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024.