Diana Taurasi #3 Guard
2012 Regular Season Statistics
| PPG | 14.0 |
|---|
| RPG | 1.6 |
|---|
| APG | 2.3 |
|---|
| EFF |
+11.25
|
- Born: Jun 11, 1982
- Height: 6-0 / 1,83
- Weight: 163 lbs. / 73,9 kg.
-
College:
Connecticut
- Years Pro:
8
Background
CAREER CAPSULE
Two-time WNBA Champion (2009, 2007)
Five-time WNBA All-Star (2011, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005)… No All-Star game in 2004, 2008 or 2010
2009 WNBA MVP
2009 WNBA Finals MVP
Seven-time All-WNBA First Team (2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004)
Two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2004)
WNBA-best five-time Peak Performer as the league’s leading scorer… four-straight… five times in the last six seasons… won the closest scoring race in WNBA history in 2011, outscoring Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry by .07 points per game
All-WNBA Second Team (2005)
Named one the 15 greatest players in WNBA history during the league’s 15th anniversary celebration in 2011
WNBA All-Decade Team Honorable Mention
2004 WNBA Rookie of the Year
No. 1 overall pick, 2004 WNBA Draft
Mercury all-time franchise leader in 16 categories: seasons, games played, minutes played, points scored, scoring average, field goals made, field goal attempts, 3-pointers, 3-point attempts, free throws made, free throw attempts, rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists, steals, blocks.
Became just the second player in WNBA history with 5,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists
Became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 4,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 900 assists (224 games).
Became the fastest player in league history to eclipse 4,000 career points (197 games)
Became the first player in league history to record 500 or more points in each of her first five seasons… has scored 500 or more points in each of her eight WNBA seasons, the longest streak by any player in league history.
The only player in WNBA history to score 600 or more points in six consecutive seasons (2006-2011).
Only player in WNBA history to record 800 points in a season… has done so twice (860 in 2006, 820 in 2008)
Owns the WNBA record for most consecutive games with at least one made three-pointer (55 games)
Scored in double figures in a franchise-record 50 consecutive games (July 1, 2009 – Aug. 13, 2010)
Owns league scoring records for scoring average in a season (25.3 ppg), points in a season (860), and shares single-game record (47)
Second player all-time to record multiple 40-point games in the same season (2006; Smith)… Has most career 40-point games in WNBA history (three)
Five career back-to-back 30-point performances, most in WNBA history (one in 2008, two in 2006, two in 2010)
34 career 30-point efforts, most in WNBA history
Scored 20 or more points in a WNBA-record 13 consecutive games (final 12 of 2006, first game of 2007)
Second-most career games of 20 or more points in WNBA history (127)
Scored 10 or more points in a franchise-record 50 consecutive games from July 1, 2009 – Aug. 13, 2010.
14-time Player of the Week (once in 2011, three times in 2010, once in 2009, four times in 2008, twice in 2007, twice in 2006, once in 2005), fourth most in WNBA history
2011 All-WNBA First Team
Voted by fans as a starter for her fifth career All-Star game
2011 Peak Performer for leading the league in scoring with 21.6 points per game… Won the closest scoring race in WNBA history (.07 points over Angel McCoughtry)
Led the league in scoring for the fourth straight season, fifth time in the last six years
Scored 23.4 points per game in the month of August, the seventh best scoring month in franchise history
Scored 15+ points in a franchise-record 18 straight games to end the season (active streak entering 2012)
Scored 20+ points 23 times
Scored 20+ points in nine straight games from Aug. 2-30, her longest streak since a WNBA-record 13 straight in 2007
Scored 30+ points three times
Shot 44.9 percent from the field, the second best performance of her career (45.2, 2006)
Sept. 9: Scored 28 first-half points, three shy of the WNBA record… Made six first-half 3-pointers, tying the WNBA record she shares with Sue Bird
Sept. 1: Scored 18 points on two made field goals, the second most points scored on two or fewer field goals in WNBA history
Sept. 1: Made 13-of-13 free throws, second most made in a game without a miss in WNBA history (shares the record with two others, 14)
Aug. 20-23: Missed two games with back spasms
Aug. 15: Named Western Conference Player of the Week for the 14th time in her career
July 28: Recorded the 1,000th assist of her career… Became just the second player in WNBA history with 5,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists (Katie Smith).
July 23: Was named one of the 15 greatest players in WNBA history
July 15: Became the fifth player in WNBA history to score 5,000 career points… quickest to do so in just 243 games.
July 13: Won ESPY for Best WNBA Player for the second straight year… her fifth career ESPY.
July 13: Recorded her 300th career steal
June 28: Became the fourth player in league history with 600 made threes
June 4: Scored 31 points, the best performance of her career in a WNBA season opener… Three points shy of the best season opening performance in WNBA history
2010 WNBA SEASON
2010 Peak Performer for leading the league in scoring with 22.6 points per game… third consecutive award… WNBA-record fourth overall
Was named the Best WNBA Player at the 2010 ESPY Awards on July 14, her fourth career ESPY award
Recorded eight 30-point performances
Recorded two double-doubles... the sixth and seventh of her career
Became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 4,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 900 assists (224 games)
On Aug. 1 recorded just the second 30-point, 10-assist performance in WNBA history (Jia Perkins, 2007)
Three-time Western Conference Player of the Week (June 14, July 26, Aug. 2)
Scored a season-high 44 points on July 14 vs. Seattle (3OT)… third career 40-point performance, most in WNBA history
Tied her own WNBA record with 33 field goal attempts vs. Seattle on July 14 (3OT)
Scored in double figures in a franchise-record 50 consecutive games (July 1, 2009 – Aug. 13, 2010)
Recorded back-to-back 30-point performances twice, extending her WNBA record to five such occurrences
Tallied the 800th assist of her career on June 4 vs. Los Angeles and the 900th on Aug. 3 at San Antonio
Played in her 200th career game on May 22 vs. Seattle, all starts, all for the Mercury
Recorded her 900th career rebound on May 22 vs. Seattle and 1,000th on Aug. 6 vs. San Antonio
2009 WNBA SEASON
WNBA champion
WNBA MVP
WNBA Finals MVP
2009 WNBA All-Star
2009 All-WNBA First Team
Led the WNBA in scoring with 20.4 points per game, marking the third time in four seasons she’s been the league’s leading scorer
Averaged a career-high 5.7 rebounds per game (22nd-WNBA)
Posted 1.39 blocks per game (8th-NBA), and ranked first among guards
Shot a career-best 46.1 percent from the field (prev. 45.2, 2006)
Ranked seventh in the WNBA in three-point field goal percentage, shooting a career-best 40.7 percent (prev. .297, 2006)
Led the WNBA in three-pointers made (79)
Recorded 20+ points in seven of her last 10 games
Scored 20+ points in 20 of 31 games this season
Phoenix was 16-4 in 2009 when Taurasi scored at least 20 points
Posted two 30-point efforts, bringing her all-time league-best total to 23
Recorded two double-doubles
Scored a then-WNBA season-high 34 points on July 26 at NY
Recorded 34 points and a career-high 13 rebounds on July 26 at NY, the first 30-10 performance in the WNBA in over a year (C. Parker, July 9, 2008, 40-16)
For the second consecutive season, was only player ranking in the top 33 in the WNBA in scoring (1st), rebounds (22nd), assists (T-11th), FG PCT (23st), 3-PT FG PCT (7th), FT PCT (T-6th), steals (30th), blocks (8th) and minutes (19th)
Was named WNBA Player of the Week for the week ending Aug. 16, 2009
Led the Mercury in scoring a team-high 17 times
Led the Mercury in steals a team-high 15 times
Recorded a season-high five steals on Sept. 10 at SEA
Missed two games from July 18-22 due to a team suspension
Became Mercury’s all-time franchise leader in minutes played on June 6 vs. SAN
2008 WNBA SEASON:
Was one of two Mercury players to start all 34 games in 2008 (Miller)
Led the league in scoring (24.1 ppg) for the second time in three seasons (25.3 ppg in 2006), and was awarded her second career Peak Performer award
2008 All-WNBA First Team
Scored 30+ points 10 times, and is now the league’s all-time leader in career 30-point performances with 21
Was only player in the league ranked in the top 30 in scoring, rebounding, assists, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals, blocks and minutes
Was named Player of the Week four times in 2008 (June 2-8, June 16-22, June 23-29 and September 2-8 ), bringing her career total to nine
Scored a Mercury season-high 37 points at Seattle on June 11, 2008
Scored 20+ points in a Mercury franchise-tying 26 games, a record Taurasi first set in 2006
Recorded two double-doubles
Led the team in scoring a team-high 22 times
Led the team in rebounds 10 times, assists seven times, blocks 13 times, steals 14 times and minutes 12 times
Became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 3,000 career points, doing so in 151 games (previously Lauren Jackson, 162)
Along with Cappie Pondexter, became the first pair of teammates in WNBA history to score 30 or more points in the same game twice on June 20, 2008 (prev. June 6, 2006)
Shot 44.6 percent from the floor, the third consecutive season she’s shot over 44 percent
Re-signed with the Mercury on March 20, 2008
2007 WNBA SEASON:
2007 WNBA All-Star
2007 All-WNBA First Team
Became just the second player in league history to record 500 or more points in each of her first four seasons (Cynthia Cooper)
Became just the fifth player in WNBA history to score 600 or more points in back-to-back seasons (Cooper, Katie Smith, Lauren Jackson, Seimone Augustus)
Second-fastest player to 2,000 points in WNBA history (Jackson and Smith); reached the mark in 104 games
Two-time WNBA Player of the Week in 2007 (August 6, May 28)
Only WNBA player ranked in top 10 in points, assists and blocks
Averaged 19.2 points, third-most in the league
Averaged at least four assists for the third-straight season (4.3, 8th-WNBA)
Two 30-point efforts
Team-high 16 20-point efforts
Led the team in scoring 14 times, steals 11 times, blocks 14 times
Led all WNBA guards in blocks with 1.06 (8th-WNBA)
Shot 44.0 percent from the field
2006 WNBA SEASON:
2006 All-WNBA First Team
2006 WNBA Peak Performer as league’s leading scorer (25.3 ppg)
2006 WNBA All-Star
WNBA All-Decade Team Honorable Mention
Two-time WNBA Player of the Week (July 3-9, August 7-13)
Averaged a WNBA-record 25.3 points per game (prev. 23.1, Katie Smith)
First player in WNBA history to break the 800-point mark in a single season
Scored a league-record 860 points in 2006
Moved into second place on the Mercury all-time scoring list, 828 points behind Jennifer Gillom
Set franchise records for single season double-figure scoring games (33), 20-point games (26), 30-point games (8, ties WNBA record) and 40-point games (2, ties WNBA record)
Second player in league history to record multiple 40-point games in the same season (Smith)
Third player all-time to record multiple 40-point games in a career (Smith, Cynthia Cooper)
Scored a league-record 47 points at Houston on August 10, 2006
Scored a then-franchise record 41 points at Houston on July 27, 2006
Eight scoring efforts of 30 or more points (includes both 40-point efforts) in 34 games in 2006; franchise entered season with nine 30-point efforts in first nine seasons (288 games)
Scored at least 20 points in a WNBA-record 13 consecutive games (last 12 games of 2006, first game of 2007)
Broke Jennifer Gillom’s franchise record for points in a season in just 26 games (624, Gillom set in 30) on July 28, 2006 at San Antonio
Became the fourth player to score 500 or more points in each of her first three seasons (eighth player to do it in three consecutive seasons overall)
Along with Cappie Pondexter, became the first pair of teammates in WNBA history to score 30 or more points in the same game on June 6, 2006
Scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games twice in 2006 (second player all-time)
Shot career-bests from the field (.452) and three-point range (.397, 8th-WNBA)
Dished a team-leading 4.1 assists per game (5th-WNBA)
Averaged a staggering 30.1 points per game in seven games in the month of August (211/7), a franchise record for a single month
Averaged 25.2 points in July (4th all-time, Mercury history) and 23.3 points in May (tied, 6th)
Committed a career-low 79 turnovers despite leading the league in scoring and the team in assists
Additional WNBA records that belong to DT after 2006:
- FGM, season (298) - 3FGM, season (121)
- FGA, game (33) - 3FGA, game (16)
- FGA, season (660) - 3FGA, season (305)
2005 WNBA SEASON:
2005 WNBA All-Star (July 9, 2005; New York)
2005 All-WNBA Second Team
WNBA Player of the Week (August 1-7, 2005)
Became just the fifth player in Mercury history to score over 1,000 career points
Second player in franchise history to score over 1,000 career points in her first two seasons (Gillom)
Nearly had a triple double on August 5, 2005 vs. Houston (27 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists)
Scored a then-career-high 31 points in the 2005 season finale at Seattle, the first 30-point effort of her career
Scored in double figures in 28 of 33 games
2004 WNBA SEASON:
2004 WNBA Rookie of the Year
2004 All-WNBA First Team
Selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft on April 17, 2004
Led Mercury in scoring with 17.0 points per game
First player in WNBA history to start career with three consecutive 20+ point games (22, 26, 22)
Led all rookies in scoring, three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage and minutes
Second among rookies in rebounds and assists
Scored 20+ points on 13 occasions
Recorded first career double-double on September 3, 2004 at Houston (27 points, 11 rebounds)
In first season, scored third-most points in a single season in franchise history
COLLEGE CAREER
Led UCONN to three consecutive national championships (2002, 2003, 2004)
NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in two consecutive seasons (2003, 2004)
Naismith Player of the Year Award (best female player in the nation) winner in two consecutive seasons (2003, 2004)
Just the fourth player ever to win back-to-back Naismith awards (Cheryl Miller, Dawn Staley, Chamique Holdsclaw)
Named to the first women’s Wooden Award All-American team for senior season
2003-04 Big East Player of the Year
2004 AP All-American
2002, 2003, 2004 All-BIG EAST First Team
First player in UConn history to finish career with 2,000 points, 600 assists and 600 rebounds
2003 USBWA National Player of the Year
2003 Honda Trophy Award winner for basketball
2003 Wade Trophy recipient
2003 BIG EAST All-Tournament team
2001 Kodak All-American and AP Second Team All-American
2001-02 Naismith Player of the Year and Honda Award for Women’s Basketball Finalist
Named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Region in 2001
Named 2001 BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player, the first rookie ever to earn the honor
2001 BIG EAST All-Rookie Team
INTERNATIONAL/NATIONAL TEAM
• Won gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships
Member of the 2008 USA Basketball Senior National Team that captured the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics
Two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2004)
Named 2006 Female Athlete of the Year by USA Basketball
Member of the bronze medal-winning 2006 USA National Team at the World Championships in Brazil
Averaged 14.3 points in nine games (8-1), second-most behind leading scorer Tina Thompson
In 2008, played a third consecutive season in Russia for Spartak Moscow alongside college teammate Sue Bird
Youngest member of the gold medal-winning 2004 US Women’s National Team in the Athens Olympics
Earned a bronze medal as a member of the 2001 USA Junior World Championship team
Earned a gold medal as a member of the 2000 USA Basketball Women’s Junior World Championship Qualifying team
Member of the 2001 All-FIBA Junior World Championship team
• Spent 2010-11 offseason playing for Fenerbahce in Instanbul, Turkey
Named July 2001 USA Basketball “Female Athlete of the Month”
Spent 2008-09 offseason playing for Spartak Moscow in Russia where she led the league in scoring with 20.5 points per game
Spent 2007-08 offseason playing for Spartak Moscow in Russia
Spent 2006-07 offseason playing for Spartak Moscow in Russia
Spent 2005-06 offseason playing for Dynamo in Russia
Personal
Born Diana Lurena Taurasi, goes by the nickname “Dee”
Mother Lili is from Argentina and father Mario Taurasi, once a pro soccer goalie, hails from Taurasi, Italy
Has an older sister, Jessika
Spanish is the language of choice spoken in the Taurasi household
Sociology major at UCONN
Scored 3,047 career points at Don Lugo High School in Chino, CA
Received the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award, presented by the LA Times to the best player in Southern California
Lists “Above the Rim” as her favorite basketball movie and “Duck Tales” as her favorite cartoon growing up
Would like to play one-on-one against Magic Johnson
Wears No. 3 because “coach made me”
First car was a 1986 Toyota Corolla that was “the ugliest thing”
For breakfast, dips saltine crackers in hot tea: “It’s an Argentinean thing.”
Her Mercury jersey was the sixth-best seller in the WNBA in 2008
In 2006, launched official website: dianataurasi.com
One of the first professional athletes with an official myspace page: www.myspace.com/dianataurasi
Career Transactions
Selected in the first round (first overall) of WNBA Draft 2004.
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