Phoenix Mercury icon Diana Taurasi’s journey in the Olympics began at the 2004 Athens Games throughout the years up until Sunday when Team USA won the final in Paris, and she has won every game and every gold medal possible.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Going 44-0 from her debut in Greece to now, her legendary career on the international stage will forever be remembered as one of the best to do it. Taurasi went from a young up-and-comer when she was first named to the USA Basketball Women’s National Team to a basketball legend globally at the end of it.
Before the 2024 Paris Olympics began, she revealed to ESPN that she was going to retire from Olympic play after the tournament finished.
Now that she is a champion again after the United States pulled out a 67-66 win over France, the 42-year-old is officially done and will celebrate the accomplishment as well as her USA career in general.
When reflecting on what winning her sixth gold medal meant to her, Taurasi took time to think but is proud of what she did and is confident the players after her will keep the tradition of success alive.
“I am just happy,” Taurasi said. “Sometimes you never think the ends ever close but when it is, it really makes you grateful, lucky. I said I was with my idols when I was young, I was with my counterparts in the middle and now I get to see these young superstars growing. Just happy to be a part of it and they’ll continue the legacy for sure.”
The journey ends with a sixth Gold Medal.@DianaTaurasi x ???????? #USABWNT pic.twitter.com/inhmhLcMYV
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 12, 2024
Adding to the significance of this medal, DT passed WNBA legend Sue Bird for the most golds won by any player in USA women’s basketball history. They were tied at five before Taurasi broke it.
Joking around following her passing her good friend on the leaderboard, Taurasi poked fun at Bird that she was just as effective as her on Sunday, with Bird being retired since 2022 and DT sitting on the bench the whole game against France.
“Yeah, it’s the only reason I came,” Taurasi said. “It’s funny because we scored the same amount of points today.”
Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young became a starter halfway through the tournament, causing Taurasi to be a sub before she did not feature in the final.
Even though some players may complain about not receiving the playing time they feel they deserve or not playing at all, Taurasi appreciated the experience of representing her country and helping her teammates with pointers no matter the situation she was in.
Since Paris caps off her historical, 20-year Olympics run, Taurasi has inspired so many young athletes to be like her and the Americans will miss a pioneer whose impact will never be forgotten.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
