Diana Taurasi has made a name for herself as one of, if not the greatest, women’s basketball players ever. A 10-time WNBA All-Star, league MVP, and Finals MVP en route to capturing three league titles, Taurasi is often looked at as the blueprint of a successful WNBA career. But these achievements pale in comparison to the latest record she just set with Team USA.
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This year, Tarausi was selected to her sixth USA woman’s roster, and will most probably return with a sixth gold, if everything goes to plan. Former Team USA members, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce recently stumbled upon a list of Tarausi’s WNBA and Olympic exploits during an episode of ‘Ticket and The Truth‘. When KG heard Tarausi would for the sixth time be joining USA’s 12-woman roster, Garnett broke into praise, saying,
“Taurasi is going for her sixth gold…shout out to the white Mamba man, D.T. man, she stay doing it.”
Even Paul Pierce, who confessed to following Tarausi since her Connecticut days, had the following to say when explaining the absurdity of Tarausi’s Olympic achievement:
“Going for her sixth gold medal…this is huge for team sports. You don’t go to 6 Olympics…think about this, six Olympics stretch the span of 24 years.”
Diana Tarausi won her first Olympic gold at the tender of age 22, and now almost 20 years later, at 42, Tarausi is hoping to write history, becoming the only woman to win six Olympic golds in basketball. But it’s fair to say that Tarausi’s career is now in its twilight years, as the Mercury legend could be retiring anytime soon. Whenever DT does decide to hang it up, Garnett believes that basketball media can greatly benefit from Tarausi’s presence, as KG endorsed the 42-year-old because of her unique personality and deep insight into the game.
Taurasi’s time with Team USA
Diana Taurasi began her Team USA journey back in 2000 when the Phoenix star was just 18 years old. While Tarausi led the USA to the FIBA Americas Championship that year, she wouldn’t get the call-up to the main team until 2004, when Tarausi was selected to the 12-woman squad to represent Team USA at Athens.
While Athens was her debut, it wouldn’t be her last, as she has since attended four other Olympics, and has played the role of starting point guard on most, if not all, of them. Heading into the Paris games, Team USA and Taurasi will be heavily favored, as the Olympic selection committee and coaching staff have once again put together a star-studded roster. With her veteran leadership, can Team USA clinch another gold?
