A UConn phenom who led her former Huskies to three consecutive championships, Diana Taurasi likes Phoenix best for its HOT HOT weather! Crazy, yes I know, but when you live in Connecticut and the cold so long maybe the heat will do you some good. But be warned, Diana, you won't like the heat once you get used to it.

Taurasi came to Phoenix as a first round draft pick this year. Since then, she has been the key to unlocking a box full of treasures. Only seven games into the season and already she has been the leader of the pack; becoming the leading scorer of the team with 17 point per game and helping salvage four wins, which is half the number of wins we had last year.

The riches started flowing for Taurasi though before she even went to college. She flourished in high school, scoring a total of 3,047 career points at Don Lugo High in California. She also earned a bronze medal with the 2001 USA Jr. World Championship Team and a gold medal with the same team in 2000. USA Basketball named her the "Female Athlete of the Month" in July 2001. Not to mention being the recipient of the Cheryl Miller Award for being the best basketball player in Southern California. The list of tokens goes on and on.

She jumped the gun at the college level as a freshman at UConn, being a competitive player. She won an impressive award as a freshman; the Big East Championship Most Outstanding Player, and became the first rookie to win it. Her sophomore year she got things rolling. She led UConn to her first of three consecutive NCAA National Championships under her reign. She also won her first of three consecutive Naismith Player of the Year awards. Her junior year she let the goods flow in by receiving nine awards plus playing on the 2003 Big East All-Tournament team. Her senior year she was an AP All-American and left UConn as the first player in history with over 2,000 points, 600 assists and 600 rebounds.

That brings the sparkling gem to Phoenix. She has performed so well so soon because she is a team player. What are the best qualities that Dee brings to the game? "Sheer basketball talent,” Head Coach Carrie Graf explained. “She has a great understanding for the game. She brings great personality and great talent, she loves playing with the team."

She helps the team, too, with her positive attitude. "The team feeds off of her. If they get open she'll find them, she can hit big shots and she brings energy t the team." Graffie said.

The Mercury needs a leader; someone to pick up the slack and Diana does just that, which makes her such a good player.

Anna DeForge also gave me her two cents about Dee. "Oh God I can't answer you now, you asked the wrong person," Anna jokingly said when I asked her about Diana. "Diana and I know what we bring to the team and we have to work together to help the tea be successful. We play off of each other."

Anna thinks the best thing about Dee is her passion. "She has a lot of passion, a lot of energy about anything. It could be about life, friends anything. She's just very genuine and real a she's just a lot of fun to be around."

Penny Taylor also told me what she likes about Diana. "I've played with a lot of great players, a lot of world renowned stars, but with Diana even as a rookie she brings a lot of energy and excitement. She really brings the team together." Taylor explained. "She's always giving everyone five and she's always making sure everyone is up and ready to play and she is very supportive of everyone. There's a lot expected of her, but she's the one giving to everyone else. That's the best part about her." Dee’s enthusiasm is just another golden charm that keeps her team up in high spirits.

What is the best help she can bring to the team? "Leadership and hopefully a winning attitude." Taurasi said. "Our team is young, so we have a lot of fun on and off the court. It's just a game and if you get negative, things only seem to get worse. The minute you start being positive and look at it from a different angle, things start working out for you."

Diana Taurasi is a sparkling gem and has helped the Mercury turn from lumps of coal to beautiful, sparkling diamonds. She is, was and will always be the greatest female basketball player ever.

Katilin will be a high school freshman in the fall and was the winner of one of last season's Junior Beat Reporter contests, sponsored by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

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