Diana Tauurasi retires: the top scorer of all time of the WNBA announces retirement

Diana Tauuras, the top scorer in the history of the WNBA and voted “bigger of all time” for the fans of the league, announced his retirement on Tuesday after 20 seasons.

Tauurasi, 42, moves away as one of the most decorated players in the history of female basketball. She had an impact on her first moments in UConn Huskies in 2000, and was still at the center of attention until the end of her WNBA career, helping to lead the Phoenix Mercury to the playoffs this month.

In August, Taurasi became the first basketball player to win six Olympic gold medals.

Taurasi scored 10,646 points, the only WNBA player who exceeded the 10K brand in annotations, in 565 regular seasonal games, and scored another 1,476 points in 72 playoff games. He led Phoenix, who recruited his number 1 in 2004, the WNBA championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014.

Taurasi, a five -time WNBA score champion and 14 times WNBA selection, Tauurasi was MVP of the League in 2009 and MVP final in 2009 and ’14. He also goes as a WNBA leader in triples made with 1,447 in the regular season and 215 in the playoffs.

Despite personal records and achievements, Taurai was considered the consummate teammate throughout his career.

“I’ve always tried to be on everyone’s side and tried to defend everyone in the team,” said Tauurasi. “If they are in your circle, you take care of them.”

Sue Bird said, Tauurai’s friend and her basketball teammate from Uconn/USA, ESPN: “She has a way of making people feel connected to her, but she also likes the best version of herself” .

New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, who guided Mercury for eight years, said Taurasi had what seemed like a sixth meaning when dealing with teammates.

“She knows when she needs to take charge; she knows when to involve others,” Bondello told ESPN. “She knows when she only needs to whisper in the ear to start them. When you see it closely and personal, you realize the effect she has on her teammates, and everyone admires her.”

Taurasi first jumped to national prominence in UCONN two decades ago, taking the Huskies to three consecutive national titles from 2002 to 2004, including an undefeated season that many consider the best in the history of the Houops College of Women’s College.

“Never, I never heard her say a negative word about a teammate, in Uconn, the Olympic team, Phoenix,” Genoiemma Genoiemma, Espn, told the Huskies coach. “But I could say: ‘Dee, that was the worst pass of God I have seen in my life.’ If I told that to another person, they could say:” Why do I lack respect? “With her, she never He took personally.

UCONN was 22-1 at the NCAA tournament games in Tauurai’s career, and finished his university career with 2,156 points, 628 rebounds and 648 assists. After being selected No. 1 in general by El Mercurio, he won the first of his Olympic medals in 2004.

His first WNBA championship with Phoenix arrived three years later.

After taking Phoenix to his second title, Taurasi was arrested for driving under the influence in July 2009. Shortly after, while playing abroad in Turkey, Tauurasi received a provisional prohibition at the end of 2010 for the alleged use of stimulating fashion , but the laboratory the realization of the test was discredited and Tauurasi was authorized of all accusations in February 2011.

Taurasi and Bird became the cornerstones of the US basketball. Uu. For two decades. Together with its Olympic tour, Tauurasi has three gold of the FIBA ​​Women’s World Cup and won six Euro League titles.

“There never seems to be a bad day when you are close to Dee,” Carol Callan, director of the National Basketball team of the United States, told ESPN. “

Taurasi was voted by fans as the “goat” of the WNBA during the 25th season of the League in 2021.

“For me, she is the best player,” Las Vegas Aces coach, who played and trained against Taurasi, told Espn. “She simply left. I think one of the most underestimated parts of her game was her death. Her bridges of 3 balls and Pull-up received close attention, but literally does everything.

“It’s like when you talk about LeBron James … some people would call him when the ball passed, but it was the right decision. Great players, the goats, they only make the right game. And they do it. And again and again, and it carries To win. “