Sunday night was a very special night in the WNBA, as the Phoenix Mercury retired the iconic No. 3 in honor of Diana Taurasi.
Taurasi, who spent 20 years in the WNBA, all with Phoenix, is one of the best players in the league’s history. She won three WNBA titles, a WNBA MVP and was a 14-time All-WNBA selection, in addition to being an 11-time All-Star.
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While her overseas accomplishments don’t necessarily factor into her jersey retirement, it’s fair to note that she also won six Olympic gold medals.
But before all that? Taurasi was a star at the University of Connecticut, where she helped the Huskies win three national titles in four years.
As she became one of the best players in program history, Taurasi also inspired the next generation of great players, including current WNBA star Kelsey Plum.
Plum, who played at the University of Washington and now plays for Phoenix, said that she was inspired by watching Taurasi play in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. She cited her scoring ability and moxie as being what drove her to become the best basketball player she could be.
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Plum is a nine-year WNBA veteran who has made five All-Star games and an All-WNBA team. She is a two-time WNBA champion who was the all-time leader in women’s college basketball scoring (3,527) before Caitlin Clark broke her record (3,951).
Serving as a role model and inspiration was something Taurasi did for more than just Plum, as Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird all spoke about how she inspired players everywhere in their tribute videos to her.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kelsey Plum (0) passes the ball against the Atlanta Dream in the first quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Believe it or not, UConn actually lost four games in that regular season, going 31-4 in total As a result, the Huskies were a No. 2 seed in the East Region.
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UConn beat No. 15 Penn in the first round (91-55), before topping Auburn 79-53 in the second round. Upset-minded UC Santa Barbara gave UConn a run in the Sweet 16, but the Huskies prevailed 63-55.
In the Elite 8, the Huskies knocked out No. 1 Penn State 66-49.
UConn saw No. 7 Minnesota in the Final Four, winning 67-58, before beating No. 1 Tennessee in the national championship (70-61).
Taurasi was named to the All-Tournament team alongside to other Huskies: Anne Strother and Jessica Moore.
The Huskies are in the mix for Washington state recruit (2027) Finley Parcher. A four-star recruit from Washington, Parcher has put UConn in her final seven.
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UConn is the only East Coast school on the list, which means head coach Geno Auriemma could have a tougher time selling her on the program. You can check out her full list of schools here.
UConn is also in the mix for Class of 2027 top recruit Kaleena Smith. She will visit campus on Nov. 6.
