In Phoenix, it’s still Taurasi’s standard as Bueckers joins elite company

PHOENIX — Paige Bueckers was, as expected, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. But for fans in Phoenix — and anyone who knows the lineage of UConn greatness — the moment was less about the beginning of Bueckers’ story and more about the legacy she now steps into.

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Bueckers became the sixth UConn women’s basketball player to go first overall, joining Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011), and Breanna Stewart (2016). Each craved out a Hall of Fame trajectory. Each changed the game in her own way. But in Phoenix, there’s only one name that defines greatness — Taurasi.

Diana Taurasi wasn’t just a No. 1 pick. She was the soul of a franchise.

Selected by the Mercury in 2004, Taurasi built a WNBA career that redefined what long-term excellence looks like: three championships, 11 All-Star appearances, a league MVP, and a record-setting scoring total that may never be touched. For 20 years, Phoenix was her city. There Mercury were her team. The WNBA was her stage.

Now, as Bueckers prepares to lead the Dallas Wings and carry UConn’s tradition into the next era, Taurasi’s influence is undeniable. Her path made it possible for players like Bueckers to dream big and expect more — not just from the league, but from themselves.

Phoenix, meanwhile, turns the page with. Kahleah Copper and a new-look roster, but the shadow of Taurasi’s greatness still hangs over every shot, every season, every rooking chasing immorality.

Bueckers has the tools. The hype. The Huskies pedigree.

But the standard? That’s still Taurasi.

Kahleah Copper the new face of the Phoenix Mercury

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Reporter Reyna Stanley covers the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X @rey_stanley776.