Mercury Coach Reveals Honest Opinion Of Diana Taurasi's WNBA Career

Diana Taurasi notched her 80th career game with at least five three-pointers in their game against the Los Angeles Sparks as the Phoenix Mercury improved their record to 9-8 in the 2024 WNBA season. This feat is incomparable in the WNBA and team head coach Nate Tiibbets chose to put the nine-time league All-Star's resume beside NBA stars.

Taurasi owns the record for tallying the most games with at least five three-pointers, ahead of former WNBA star Katie Smith who just did it 30 times in her career. This wide gap made Thibbets compare this feat to NBA sharpshooters Damian Lillard and Diana Taurasi during the post-game press conference.

"She's up there with the best. I spent eight years in Portland with Dame [Damian Lillard]. The way he worked every single day is a lot like how DT [Diana Taurasi] goes to work. And, there's a guy in Golden State that swept us four times in Portland... I'll put her up there against any of them," said Tibbetts after the 92-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks, via Desert Wave Media on X.

Tibbetts spent time with the Portland Trail Blazers with Lillard, serving as an assistant coach from 2013 to 2021. He believes Taurasi could compete with the best of them and thinks she's had one of the best careers and basketball resumes.

At 42 years old, Taurasi continues to defy aging as she currently averages 16.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in the 2024 WNBA season.

She's widely considered the greatest women's basketball player of all time, having won a league MVP and five Olympic gold medals, which is the most by any athlete in U.S. basketball history.

Tibbetts will need to keep the praise and instill as much energy as he can into his veteran squad before they welcome Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The game will feature the first highly anticipated matchup between Taurasi and Clark.

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