Career Timeline of Diana Taurasi: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Diana Taurasi built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Diana Taurasi is an American former professional basketball player, celebrated as one of the greatest in WNBA history. She played 20 seasons for the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi gained prominence playing college basketball for the University of Connecticut, where she led the team to three consecutive NCAA championships.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2000: Enrolled at the University of Connecticut

In 2000, Diana Taurasi enrolled at the University of Connecticut (UConn) and began playing for the women's basketball team.

2000: Taurasi wins gold medal at FIBA Americas Championship

In 2000, Diana Taurasi was a member of the United States women's U18 team that won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. She averaged 12.6 points per game and led the team with 5.46 assists per game.

2001: UConn's Final Four Loss

Following a poor shooting performance in UConn's 2001 Final Four loss to Notre Dame, Diana Taurasi vowed that they would not lose another tournament game while she was playing. They proceeded to win three straight national titles.

2001: Taurasi earns bronze medal at U.S. junior World Championship

In 2001, Diana Taurasi earned a bronze medal as a member of the U.S. junior World Championship team.

2003: Phoenix Mercury's Record

In 2003, the Phoenix Mercury had a record of 8–26.

May 12, 2004: Taurasi selected for the 2004 Olympics

On May 12, 2004, Diana Taurasi was selected to compete at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece with the United States national team.

2004: Drafted to Phoenix Mercury and Olympic Gold Medal

In 2004, Diana Taurasi was drafted first overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA draft and won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. national team.

2004: WNBA Debut

In 2004, Diana Taurasi was selected first overall in the WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury and scored 22 points in her WNBA debut against the Sacramento Monarchs. She was also named to the Western Conference All-Star team and won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.

2005: Second All-Star Selection

In 2005, Diana Taurasi averaged 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while battling an ankle injury and was selected as an All-Star for the second straight year. However, the Mercury missed the playoffs.

2005: Taurasi joins Dynamo Moscow

In 2005, Diana Taurasi began her international career playing for Dynamo Moscow.

2006: Taurasi joins Spartak Moscow

In 2006, Diana Taurasi was recruited to play for Spartak Moscow.

2006: Taurasi earns bronze medal at FIBA World Championship

In 2006, Diana Taurasi was the second leading scorer on the U.S. national basketball team and earned the bronze medal at the FIBA World Championship held in São Paulo, Brazil.

2006: Won First Scoring Title

In 2006, Diana Taurasi won her first WNBA scoring title.

2006: Historic Season and Scoring Records

In 2006, under coach Paul Westhead, Diana Taurasi had a historic season, leading the league in scoring. She broke Katie Smith's league record for points in a season with 741 points, averaged a WNBA record 25.3 points per game, and set a WNBA record with 121 three-pointers in a single season. She also scored a then-league record 47 points in a triple-overtime victory against the Houston Comets, making a then-WNBA record eight three-pointers during the game. Despite her performance, the Mercury missed the playoffs.

2007: Won First WNBA Championship

In 2007, Diana Taurasi reached the WNBA playoffs for the first time and led the Phoenix Mercury to their first WNBA title, becoming the seventh player to win an NCAA title, a WNBA title, and an Olympic gold medal.

2007: Spartak Moscow wins EuroLeague championship

In 2007, Spartak Moscow won the EuroLeague championship.

2008: Taurasi wins gold medal at the Beijing Olympics

In 2008, Diana Taurasi represented the United States at the Summer Games in Beijing, China, where she started all eight games and helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal.

2008: Won Second Scoring Title

In 2008, Diana Taurasi won her second WNBA scoring title.

2009: Taurasi named Final Four MVP

In 2009, Diana Taurasi was named the Final Four MVP for EuroLeague.

2009: Won WNBA MVP and Championship

In 2009, Diana Taurasi won the WNBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award and led the Phoenix Mercury to their second WNBA championship, also winning the WNBA Finals MVP Award.

2009: Named WNBA MVP and Won Second Championship

In the 2009 season, Diana Taurasi was named the WNBA MVP and led the Phoenix Mercury to its second WNBA championship, winning the WNBA Finals MVP. She became the second player to win the scoring title, MVP award, a WNBA Championship, and Finals MVP in the same season.

2009: Taurasi invited to USA Basketball training camp

In the fall of 2009, Diana Taurasi was invited to the USA Basketball women's national team training camp.

2010: Taurasi wins gold medal at FIBA World Championships

In 2010, Diana Taurasi was a member of the U.S. national team that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championships. Taurasi led the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game.

2010: Taurasi named Final Four MVP again

In 2010, Diana Taurasi was named the Final Four MVP for EuroLeague for the second consecutive year.

2010: Taurasi participates in FIBA World Championship

In 2010, Diana Taurasi was selected to participate at the FIBA World Championship.

2010: Won FIBA World Cup

In 2010, Diana Taurasi won a FIBA World Cup as a member of the U.S. national team.

2011: Taurasi plays for Galatasaray

In 2011, Diana Taurasi joined Galatasaray, a major team from Istanbul.

May 16, 2012: Taurasi signs with UMMC Ekaterinburg

On May 16, 2012, Diana Taurasi signed a contract with UMMC Ekaterinburg, joining fellow WNBA star Candace Parker.

2012: Injury-Riddled Season

In 2012, Diana Taurasi had an injury-riddled season, playing only eight games due to a strained left hip flexor. The Mercury finished the season with a poor record.

2012: Taurasi participates in Olympics

In 2012, Diana Taurasi was selected to participate at the Olympics.

2012: Taurasi wins third Olympic gold medal

In 2012, Diana Taurasi won her third Olympic gold medal as the United States defeated France in the final.

2012: Galatasaray eliminated in EuroLeague quarter-final round

In 2012, Galatasaray was eliminated in the Final Eight quarter-final round of the EuroLeague.

2013: Return from Injury

In 2013, Diana Taurasi returned healthy for the season, playing 32 games and averaging over 20 points per game for the sixth time in her career. The Mercury finished third in the Western Conference and advanced to the conference finals but lost to the Minnesota Lynx.

2013: UMMC wins EuroLeague, Russian Championships and Russian Cup

In 2013, UMMC Ekaterinburg won the EuroLeague, Russian Championships, and Russian Cup.

2014: Taurasi's Salary

For the 2014 WNBA season, Diana Taurasi made just under the league maximum of $107,000.

2014: Taurasi signs endorsement deal with Nike

In 2014, Diana Taurasi signed an endorsement deal with Nike.

2014: Won Third WNBA Championship

In 2014, Diana Taurasi won her third WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and was named the WNBA Finals MVP for the second time.

2014: UMMC repeats Russian Championship and Cup win

In 2014, the UMMC team repeated their Russian Championship and Cup win.

2014: Won Third WNBA Championship and Finals MVP

In the 2014 season, Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury finished with a record of 29–5, setting the record for most wins in a regular season. They swept the Chicago Sky in the WNBA Finals, and Taurasi won her third championship and second WNBA Finals MVP.

February 3, 2015: Announced she would sit out the 2015 WNBA season

On February 3, 2015, Diana Taurasi announced that she would sit out the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, due to being offered more money than her WNBA salary.

2015: Taurasi leads UMMC to its third Euroleague title

In 2015, Diana Taurasi led UMMC to its third Euroleague title and earned MVP honors.

2015: UMMC loses in EuroLeague final

In 2015, UMMC Ekaterinburg lost in the EuroLeague final against USK Praha.

2015: Taurasi offered a deal to skip the WNBA season

In 2015, UMMC offered Diana Taurasi a deal to skip the WNBA season to rest due to an injury.

2016: Taurasi wins fourth Olympic gold medal

In 2016, Diana Taurasi played at the Olympics in Rio, earning her fourth gold medal while helping the United States overcome Spain in the final.

2016: Taurasi helps UMMC to its eleventh league championship

In 2016, Diana Taurasi returned to UMMC, helping the team to its eleventh league championship.

2016: Returned to the Mercury and advanced to the semi-finals

In 2016, Diana Taurasi returned to the Mercury, helping them reach the playoffs with a 16-18 record. The Mercury advanced to the semi-finals, where they were swept by the Minnesota Lynx. During the first-round game, Taurasi made her 113th playoff career three-pointer, passing Becky Hammon as the all-time WNBA leader.

2016: Taurasi returns to the Phoenix Mercury

In 2016, Diana Taurasi returned to the Phoenix Mercury after skipping the 2015 WNBA season.

May 2017: Signed Contract Extension and Reached Milestones

In May 2017, Diana Taurasi signed a multi-year contract extension with the Mercury and became the first player in league history to reach 7,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 1,500 assists. Later, on June 18, she became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.

June 18, 2017: Became WNBA All-Time Leading Scorer

On June 18, 2017, Diana Taurasi became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.

December 2017: Taurasi announces retirement from European competition

In December 2017, Diana Taurasi announced her retirement from European competition.

May 18, 2018: First Player in WNBA History to Make 1,000 3-Pointers

On May 18, 2018, Diana Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to make 1,000 3-pointers in a game against the Dallas Wings.

June 5, 2018: First Player in WNBA History to Score 8,000 Points

On June 5, 2018, Diana Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to score 8,000 points in a victory against the Liberty.

July 8, 2018: League's All-Time Leader in Field Goals Made

On July 8, 2018, Diana Taurasi became the league's all-time leader in field goals made in a victory against the Connecticut Sun.

August 1, 2018: Scored Season-High 37 Points

On August 1, 2018, Diana Taurasi scored a season-high 37 points in a victory against the Las Vegas Aces. The Mercury finished the season 20–14 with the number five seed in the league.

2018: Expected end of season with UMMC

In 2018, Diana Taurasi was expected to play through the end of the season with UMMC.

2018: Won FIBA World Cup

In 2018, Diana Taurasi won a FIBA World Cup as a member of the U.S. national team.

April 2019: Wife Hired as Assistant Coach

In April 2019, the Mercury announced that Diana Taurasi's wife, Penny Taylor, had been hired as an assistant coach.

September 2019: Confirmed Intention to Play in 2020

In September 2019, Diana Taurasi confirmed that she intended to play for the team in 2020.

August 23, 2020: Taurasi scores season-high while honoring Kobe Bryant

On August 23, 2020, Diana Taurasi scored a season-high of 34 points in a victory against the Washington Mystics while honoring Kobe Bryant's birthday by wearing his number 8 jersey with his last name. The Phoenix Mercury finished the season with a 13-9 record.

2020: Intention to Play

Diana Taurasi had confirmed her intention to play for the team in 2020

2020: Taurasi wins fifth Olympic gold medal

In 2020, Diana Taurasi was a key member of the gold medal-winning U.S. women's Olympic team in Tokyo, earning Taurasi a record fifth gold medal.

February 2021: Taurasi re-signs with the Mercury

In February 2021, Diana Taurasi re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury on a two-year deal.

October 8, 2021: Taurasi wins Game 5 with message for Taylor

After a Game 5 win on October 8, 2021, Diana Taurasi had a message for Penny Taylor in her post-game interview, closing with "Hold it in babe, I'm coming."