Diana Taurasi, a legend in women’s basketball from UConn, is still going strong in her 20th WNBA season with the Phoenix Mercury.
“It’s quite easy. You put in more effort than anyone else and you show up every day. That’s basically all there is to it,” Taurasi remarked. No magic tricks exist. Nothing noteworthy is occurring on the court. Simply arrive at the gym each day before everyone else and remain until everyone has left. I can only accomplish it in this way. I’ve previously stated that I won’t even go out there if I don’t accomplish that.
Taurasi welcomed the Phoenix Mercury to Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday for her yearly “homecoming” against the Connecticut Sun. However, she may retire tomorrow, assured of a spot in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. She is a 14-time All-WNBA selection, a 10-time All-Star, a three-time WNBA champion, and the recipient of two Finals MVP honors. Five games into her 20th season, Taurasi has set career records for both field goals and 3-pointers made, and she is the first player in WNBA history to collect 10,000 points. This season, the 41-year-old has made the most threes in the league (19), averaging 19 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
According to Sun star DeWanna Bonner, who played for the Mercury from 2009 to 2019, “That’s the GOAT, and she’s still showing it.” She somewhat raised the bar for me. My first year, we were victorious, and it was mostly due to her. I was fortunate enough to have her as a sort of model my first year because you see what it takes to stay in this level. It was such a blessing to go through that team and be under that player because I’m still here, fifteen years later, and still playing. I don’t take anything for granted, including our relationship, her wisdom, and everything else she has done for me.
In her fifteenth WNBA season, Bonner is off to one of her greatest starts ever. The veteran of the Sun, she spent ten years playing with the Mercury, where she saw firsthand the secrets to a successful, lengthy career in the league. In 2009, Taurasi earned MVP and guided Phoenix to its second WNBA title; that same year, Bonner was selected and took home the Sixth Player of the Year award. Alongside Taurasi, she went on to win a second championship with the Mercury in 2014, and the two have been close ever since Bonner joined Connecticut in 2020.
“You’re going to love this kid,” said Cory Gaines, the former Mercury coach, when he saw the scrawny little Auburn girl when she first arrived. She is an avid basketball player. “She enjoys competing,” Taurasi remarked. โShe just elevated our franchise when she arrived in Phoenix. It’s been incredible to watch DB develop into this incredible mother and leader because our families know one another so well, and we were fortunate enough to celebrate two titles together.
Taurasi and Moriah Jefferson, another former UConn standout, got back together for the game on Tuesday. Prior to being moved to the Sun this offseason, Jefferson was a member of the Mercury in 2023. However, the eight-year veteran also faced the legendary Huskies in the Western Conference for the majority of her career. When Jefferson faced Taurasi as a rookie in 2016 with the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces), she claimed to have avoided one of the notorious “welcome to the league” moments on the court.
Jefferson laughed and remarked, “I don’t remember the game, but I remember it being in San Antonio and the greeting that she and I had.” We had a “bleed blue” connection because she’s a really good person who likes people, and she embraced me right away. I recall that it was a cool experience when we really went and snapped a picture. It’s kind of weird because she’s never pushed off or anything like that towards me. Although I’ve always been warned about it, I’ve never actually experienced it. However, I’ve seen it several times.
While playing with Taurasi in Phoenix the previous year, Jefferson also encountered an aspect of the legendary talent that she had heard so much about throughout her time in college.
Jefferson remarked, “Seeing how she does the same thing every day was really cool.” “She is an expert. She gave me a lot for advice. Dee is such a fool, but everyone usually sees the serious side of her. She constantly enters the locker room laughing, dancing, and acting in the most bizarre ways. I truly liked that she exuded the same energy every day.
Taurasi has always had a soft place for former Huskies from Connecticut, and in 2024 there will be a league-high 15 Huskies on rosters. With the exception of the Chicago Sky, every team has at least one former UConn player. The Sun have two, in Olivia Nelson-Ododa, a 2022 graduate, and Jefferson.
Taurasi remarked, “There’s this thread that connects us all.” “There’s a sense of pride in seeing a Connecticut Husky out there.” That carries honor, which originates from Coach (Geno Auriemma) and Coach (Chris Dailey) and the pressures they place on you to perform to a standard both on and off the court while you’re at school. You learn so much about life from them. Players from UConn are considered “pro ready” for a reasonโwe are put to the test every single day.