Diana Taurasi

Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. She played 20 seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), spending her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury. A global basketball icon, Taurasi helped grow the visibility of the women's game and is credited with elevating the WNBA's standard of play. She is often considered the greatest player in women's basketball history and holds the all-time WNBA scoring record. She is the most decorated Olympic athlete in any team sport, winning six Olympic gold medals with the United States women's national basketball team.

Taurasi was the top recruit in her class and earned national player of the year honors at Don Antonio Lugo High School in her hometown of Chino, California. She played college basketball for UConn, which she led to three consecutive national titles. She was twice named national college player of the year and is regarded as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time. Selected first overall by the Mercury in the 2004 WNBA draft, Taurasi quickly emerged as the league's best scorer and gained a reputation for her clutch scoring ability and competitiveness, which earned her the nickname "White Mamba". Her WNBA accolades include three league championships, two Finals Most Valuable Player awards, one MVP award, five scoring titles, 10 All-WNBA First Team selections, and 11 All-Star selections. Taurasi is the WNBA all-time leader in points, three-pointers, field goals, and free throws. She was also a decorated player overseas, playing in Russia and Turkey and winning six EuroLeague Women titles.

Internationally, Taurasi was a central figure on the United States women's national team, and with former college teammate Sue Bird established it as one of the greatest sports dynasties. She won six Olympic gold medals and three FIBA World Cup championships, and is a four-time USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. Taurasi holds the team record for games played in the Olympics (44) and scored the second-most points in team history.