Where does Diana Taurasi rank in the WNBA GOAT debate: These are her career stats and trophies

Before there was Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, there was Diana Taurasi. The WNBA is what it is today because of the ladies who laid the way over the last few decades. One of the most distinguished as legendary players to ever play in the league is hanging it up today, but where does Diana Taurasi sit on the GOAT list?

Domination from college, to pro, to Olympics

Taursai helped transform the game. She took women’s basketball and made it mainstream from the time she stepped on campus at UCONN back in 2000. She won three national titles and two Naismith College Player of the Year awards.

That was just the tip of the ice berg. She was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the first pick of the 2004 WNBA Draft, and won the Rookie of the Year award less than a year after. Two years after that she won her first of five WNBA scoring titles. The next year she would complete the comeback for the Mercury taking them from worst to first, winning the WNBA title in 2007.

Taurasi would go to win three league championships, be named the Final MVP in two of those title series and be named a member of the WNBA First Team 10 times.

Domestic, international and national team glory

Not to mention the double duty she was pulling overseas. While the pay may not but up to the NBA’s standard these days, it’s certainly better than it was back then. Taurasi played almost year round, taking her talents overseas after the season in the US ended.

She played in Russia and Turkey as teams like Spartak Moscow, Fenerbache and Galatasary. She won six Euroleague titles, seven Russian domestic titles and a Turkish League title.

Speaking of international basketball, she won six Olympic Gold medals with Team USA, dating all the way back to the 2004 summer games in Athens. That’s more than any other basketball player that as walked this Earth, man or woman.

There are players that may have won more titles, or WNBA MVPs or brought more money to the game, but the sport wouldn’t be what it is today without Diana Taurasi. That puts her at GOAT status.