A little more than three years ago, Diana Taurasi became the first player to score 10,000 points in her WNBA career, reaching the milestone in epic DT fashion.
The catch-and-shoot wing 3-pointer that pushed her over the 10,000-point barrier were three of the 42 points she scored in the Phoenix Mercury win, a new regular-season scoring high at 41 years old.
Now, three years later, her No. 3 is going up into rafters, as the Mercury will retire her jersey and induct her into the organization’s Ring of
Honor at halftime of their game against the Portland Fire (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Taurasi’s 10K scoring milestone was the culmination of a WNBA career stuffed with accolades, all of them achieved with the flair, ferocity and fun that defined DT’s 20 seasons.
And while we can recount all those accolades that not only have elevated Taurasi’s jersey into the rafters but also put her name into GOAT conversations, it’s how she carried herself while doing it all that’s worth appreciating.
In a present-day WNBA where everything is fraught, the balance of intensity and levity that Dee brought to the sport is worth emulating.
She was an insane competitor who would talk trash, foul hard and give no quarter, all while maintaining a mischievous smile, sense of humor and spirit of camaraderie.
No moment epitomizes all that encompassed Taurasi than a 2013 game against the Minnesota Lynx.
She and Seimone Augustus bumped shoulders coming up the court, a tense on-court exchange that appeared to be trending towards a confrontation. Instead, all was defused when Taurasi pecked Augustus on the check with a kiss.
Taurasi wanted to win every game, but she also understood that it was still a game.
Former Swish Appeal contributor Chelsea Leite got it right when she celebrated the recently-retired Taurasi as the WNBA’s ultimate chaos demon, appreciating how she wedded competitiveness with colorfulness.
Chelsea also considered who could come closest to filling the good chaos-generating void that DT was leaving, suggesting that Kelsey Plum would be “the closest we are going to get to fully-developed Taurasi energy.”
Plum, of course, now is a member of the franchise that Taurasi built, although she’ll again be absent from the lineup on Sunday due to a persistent left leg injury, preventing her from conjuring up an on-court tribute to DT.
KP is one of many WNBA stars who cite Taurasi as their basketball inspiration, something she’s discussed since her trade to the Mercury. On Thursday, Plum was there when the street in front of Mortgage Matchup Center, which already was named for Taurasi, became 10466 Taurasi Way, a designation that honors her final point total.
A new Taurasi mural in downtown Phoenix that includes interactive elements will further embed the legend of DT in Phoenix, as will three renovated community basketball courts that feature a goat/No. 3 logo and Taurasi silhouette with her iconic bun, ensuring she’ll remain an inspiration for future WNBA stars.
How do you remember Diana Taurasi? What’s your favorite on-court or off-court DT memory?
Indulge in all the excellence and eccentricities that Taurasi gave to the WNBA in the comments.
