The end of an era in the WNBA is coming soon, as talks of Diana Taurasi retiring after this season have picked up. It's also possible that the Phoenix Mercury lifer will continue playing, although at 42 years old, it might not be too long until she hangs up her sneakers.
Paul Pierce recently offered his utmost praise to his fellow hoops legend. The Boston Celtics icon even had an incredible (and interesting) description of Taurasi, naming her one of the top 10 basketball players of all time.
A lengthy list of accolades
Naturally, Pierce wasn't talking about just talent when he mentioned Taurasi in the same breath as Michael Jordan and LeBron James. However, Diana also has plenty of that.
She had a stellar college career, leading the University of Connecticut to three consecutive NCAA championships. After the Huskies lost in the Final Four in her rookie year, Taurasi vowed her squad would never give up a game again in the tournament. She fulfilled that promise, with the team going 18-0.
Upon graduating from college, there was no doubt that she would go No. 1 in the 2004 WNBA Draft. Through 20 years in the league, the all-time leading scorer secured one regular-season MVP award and 14 All-WNBA selections and steered the Mercury to three titles. It's also worth noting that on top of pacing the league in scoring five times, she also finished as the assists leader once.
And those are just Diana's accomplishments in the WNBA. On the international scene, Taurasi is a one-of-a-kind, having won six EuroLeague championships and seven Russian National League championships.
Earlier this year, she broke the Olympic record she shared with Sue Bird by becoming the first basketball player to win six gold medals in the quadrennial event.
Given all that, it's no wonder why Kobe Bryant once called her " the real White Mamba ."
Chasing Diana's ghost
There was a time when it seemed near-impossible to see another player challenge Taurasi's place in WNBA lore. Maya Moore looked like she was on the way to being in the conversation before she cut short her pro career to focus on her family and social justice activism.
Fast forward to today, and the reigning Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark, appears to have the talent and charisma to one day join the Mount Rushmore of WNBA greats and dislodge Taurasi in many all-time rankings. The Indiana Fever star still has a long way to go, though, as the two-time WNBA Finals MVP has made it tough for anyone to follow in her footsteps.
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