Q&A: Diana Taurasi, Pick #1, Phoenix Mercury

Taurasi: I definitely think I have an advantage after playing a week with the U.S. team. Obviously, those are the elite players in the league. The game’s just a lot different – the speed of the game, how physical it is, just how every player on the court is interchangeable so it makes everyone a lot harder to guard. So, it’s definitely going to be a challenge.

Q: Talk about the adjustment you’re going to have to make, considering that you really have not had a break.

Taurasi: It was difficult going straight from the Final Four to the U.S. team, and even now … I think in the last month I’ve been to school about two days. So that’s been a little difficult, but I’ve always been good with adjusting to new situations and, obviously, it’s a new city with new teammates, new surroundings. I’m looking at it in a positive light and I’m really excited. So everything that comes my way, I’m definitely going to enjoy it.

Q: Are you looking forward to going to Phoenix – the shopping and weather?

Taurasi: I’m excited. It’s a lot closer to home than Connecticut is. My parents will get a better opportunity to go out there. And like you said, the shopping, the city, a lot of new things to look at. So, I’m excited.

Q: Have you talked to some of your former teammates about what it’s like to go from a winning program to a team that is rebuilding?

Taurasi: I talked to Swin [Cash], who obviously had the biggest shock when she went from her senior year going 39-0 to her first year in the pros, where I think she lost her first 15 games. And she said it’s going to be hard, but you’ve just got to keep positive. Every time you think it’s going to not get better, you’ve got to keep a positive light on everything. And that’s what we usually do at school so that’s not going to change my approach. It’s not going to change whether the wins or losses increase or decrease because that’s just the way we’ve been taught.