Sue Bird Finds the Perfect Word to Describe Diana Taurasi’s Impact on the Game of Basketball

WNBA legend Diana Taurasi recently announced her retirement from the game of basketball following a 20-year career. The Mercury superstar elected to forego a farewell tour ahead of the 2025 WNBA season. However, that isn’t stopping people from giving her flowers. Taurasi’s former college teammate and close friend Sue Bird spoke about her legacy while using the perfect word to describe it.

Taurasi’s impact on women’s basketball is far greater than many people realize. She is one of the trailblazers of the sports and influenced an entire generation. Her accolades speak for themselves as an 11-time All-Star, three-time WNBA champion, five-time scoring champion, and 2009 MVP, among many more.

Bird went through the highs and lows with Taurasi on multiple occasions. Before she could dive deep into her thoughts on Taurasi, she described her friend with one word: “Transcendent.”

The way Taurasi carried herself was different than anything women’s basketball has ever seen. Bird and Taurasi were by each other’s hips throughout their entire careers. Witnessing it firsthand showed Bird just how big an impact Taurasi had on the game.

“She really transcended the game of basketball,” Bird said. “The way she played, her talent, the way she carried herself, the one-liners in post-game interviews. Just all of it went well beyond women’s basketball.”

Transcendent. That’s how Bird defined Taurasi’s approach to basketball and life. Taurasi’s confidence was evident in everything she did, very similar to the late great Kobe Bryant.

Bird has spoken highly of Taurasi many times over the years.

Bird and Taurasi’s deep connection

Taurasi and Bird were competitors on the court but best friends off of it. Their relationship is just as strong as it was during their gruelling duels on the hardwood. Their relationship began while wearing the same jersey in their college days.

The two met while attending UConn. Bird was a junior during Taurasi’s freshman season. They shared the court for two years and haven’t looked back since.

Although they never played together in the WNBA, both were one-team legends. Whenever international play came around, the dynamic duo wreaked havoc representing Team USA. Their efforts earned them five gold medals together, with Taurasi winning her sixth in 2024.

Both players single-handedly defined a generation of women’s hoopers that is beginning to turn heads in the WNBA now. Their legacies aren’t just cemented through their names but through the impact they continue to have on the next generation.