Diana Lorena Taurasi is a professional basketball player who has dominated basketball courts for years. With her on-court agility and strength, she can be a nightmare for the opposing teams. Diana is the highest scorer in WNBA history and is still going on. In her more than two-decades-long career, she has gone from strength to strength. She has left an indelible mark on the game. Let’s peek into Taurasi’s journey.

Childhood And Early Education

Diana was born to Mario and Liliana on June 11, 1982, in Chino, California. Her father and mother belonged to Italy and Argentina respectively, who emigrated to the United States before Diana was born.
She was brought up in a sports-loving family. She speaks fluent Spanish. Her father was a professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Diana also has an older sister named Jessica.
Her parents said she was always a Basketball lover. When she was a child she would dribble small basketballs around the house
She enrolled at Don Antonio Lugo High School and graduated in 2000. Afterward, she attended the University of Connecticut. She attended UConn from 2000 to 2004.
She left Connecticut in 2004 to join the WNBA. In 2005 she returned to Connecticut to complete her degree in Sociology.
She was the first in her family to graduate from college. She said the degree meant to her as much as any Championship.

High School Career

In high school, she had already earned a name for herself in Basketball. In 1999 she was named MS Basketball Player of the Year.
In 2000 she was named the recipient of the Cheryl Miller Award. In the same year, she was awarded with Naismith National High School Player of the Year.
She finished her High School career ranked fourth in California with 3,047 points. She was spewing fire in the year 2000 as she took part in the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) High School All-America Game. She scored twelve points and was named MVP.

A Decorated College Career

At the back of a decorated high school career, she joined the University of Connecticut. At UConn, she mainly played as a point guard and shooting guard. She was instrumental in getting her team to three consecutive NCAA championships.
At UConn, she averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. During her stay at UConn, the team won 139 games and lost only 8 games.

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Taurasi’s Laurels At Connecticut

• Winner of the 2003 Wade Trophy
• 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year Award
• 2003 and 2004 Naismith College Player Of The Year
• 2003 and 2004 Honda Sports Award
• Invited to Prudence Crandall as the State’s heroine

Dominating WNBA Career

She has been a force to reckon with in the WNBA. Overall she was the first pick in the WNBA draft in 2004, picked up by the Phoenix Mercury.
At times she had to play forward as there were short players in the team. In 2004 she was joined by Penny Taylor in the Phoenix Mercury.

• Rookie Season (2004)

In her debut game, she scored 22 points. She won the Rookie of the Year Award averaging 17.0 points, 3.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.

• MVP Player In 2009

She was brilliant in 2009 scoring averaging 20.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. She was named MVP in 2009.

• Season 2011

In 2011 she improved on her previous performance averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

• Season 2014 

In 2014 she played an instrumental role in getting her team to the WNBA championship. She averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. In 2020 she averaged 18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

• Season 2021 And Season 2023

In 2021 she signed a 2 year contract with the Phoenix. She had an injury but made a comeback after missing a few games. In August 2023 she became the first player in WNBA history to score 10,000 points.

She has won three WNBA titles for his team in 2007, 2009, and 2014 respectively. Her role in all three championships winning seasons has been pivotal.

Overseas Career

• Playing In Russia

Taurasi played for Dynamo Moscow in Russia in 2005. In 2006, Taurasi was picked by the Spartak Moscow.
Australian Star players like Lauren Jackson and U.S. star player Sue Bird also played for the same team. The team won consecutive Euroleague Championships from 2007 to 2010 with Taurasi named MVP in 2009 and 2010.

In 2012 she played for Russian Basketball Club UMMC Ekaterinburg and helped the team win the Euro League, Russian Championship, and Russia Cup.

• Playing In Turkey

In 2010, Taurasi played for Turkish team Fenerbahce helping the team to win the National League. She played for another Turkish club named Galatasaray in the season 2010-2011.

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National Team Career

At the age of 18 years, Diana joined the United States Women’s Under 18 FIBA America Championship held in Argentina in 2000. The US won the Gold medal in the tournament by defeating Cuba in the final. She averaged 12.6 points per game in the tournament.

In 2000, she was a member of the bronze medal-winning team of the US in the Junior World Championship.

In 2006 she was the second leading scorer on the American team that played in the FIBA World Championship. America was the bronze medalist in the event.

Diana was selected for the 2010 FIFA Women’s World Championship held in the Czech Republic. The United States won the Championship with Diana scoring 12.0 points per game.

Olympics Career

She played in her first Olympics in 2004 held in Athens Greece. Taurasi was instrumental for America in defeating Australia in the Olympic final.
In the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing, Taurasi again signed for the United States and helped lead his team to the Olympics gold medal

In the London Olympics 2012 she was playing her third Olympics. Yet again she finished on the winning side by winning her third consecutive Olympics Gold Medal for her team.

She played for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo respectively. On both occasions, she was a Gold Medalist for her country.

Diana along with Sue Bird are the two basketball players in the history of basketball, of any gender, to win 05 Olympics Gold Medals.

Injuries And Recovery

In August 2022 while playing against the Connecticut Sun, she suffered a right quad strain. Following the injury she was unable to play for the rest of the tournament.

In 2021, she suffered a chest injury while playing. It took her more than a month to recover from the injury.
It is not easy for any player to recover from the injury when he/she is more than 35 years age. But it’s the resilience and dominating personality of Diana that made her overcome the odds.

Diana Taurasi Statement On Caitlin Clark

Taurasi made scathing comments about The India Fever Star Caitlin Clark recently when she said “Reality is coming. You look superhuman playing against some 18 years olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time”

Clark’s fans are upset about Taurasi’s statement. Clark was recently picked as the NO.1 WNBA draft. Someone asked Taurasi if she would also pick Clark as no.1, to which she replied she would have Paige Bueckers as the No.1.

Personal Life

In 2017 she married Penny Taylor. Penny Taylor is a former WNBA and WNBL star. The couple has two children. Their son is named Michael Taurasi-Taylor. And the daughter is named Isla Taurasi Taylor.
Diana Taurasi is a special player in women’s basketball. Throughout her career, she has been consistent and valuable for her teams. She can play forward and also as a point guard. She has a career that is full of achievements. Taurasi is a role model for young basketball players. She gave a new dimension to the game. At the age of 41, she is strong and fit and is looking to achieve new heights.

FAQs

• Has Diana Taurasi Acted In the Movie?
In 2021 she acted in movie Space Jam: A New Legacy along with NBA star Lebron James.
• What Is Net Worth Of Diana Taurasi?
In 2024, her estimated net worth is 3.5 million dollars.
• What is Her Height And Weight?
She is 6 feet tall and weighs 70 kg.