Going over to Paris for the 2024 Olympics at 42 years old, winning five previous gold medals and seeing her role change halfway through the tournament, Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi is in a class of her own and has solidified her legacy as one of the best women’s basketball players of all time.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Named as a starter for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and the three group stage games in the Olympics, Taurasi was soon replaced by Jackie Young before not playing in the final.
Still, the USA Basketball Women’s National Team would go on to be a perfect 6-0 in Paris, extending its winning streak to 61 straight games. The United States was able to just get past the host nation France 67-66 to win its eighth consecutive gold medal in as many Olympic Games.
For Taurasi individually, winning the gold on Sunday marked the sixth time in Olympic history that she has done so in her illustrious career. Never finishing below first place, she also claimed the pristine medal at the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2021 Tokyo Games.
Reaching this monumental feat as many times as she has, DT surpassed WNBA icon Sue Bird for the most gold medals won by any player in USA men’s or women’s basketball history. Taurasi and Bird were tied at five coming into Paris, with Bird retiring from the sport in 2022 and Taurasi still competing.
2004 Athens ????
2008 Beijing ????
2012 London ????
2016 Rio de Janeiro ????
2021 Tokyo ????
2024 Paris ????The most gold medals in USA basketball history. pic.twitter.com/iDk1wbcKXI
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 11, 2024
To add more context into how special the 20-year veteran has been internationally, Team USA is a remarkable 44-0 since she began her journey back in 2004. The Americans are 61-0 overall since winning bronze at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
An Olympic career that spans 2 decades.
In a basketball class of her own. pic.twitter.com/v5yDn8bM1L
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 11, 2024
While she didn’t feature in the championship, her communication and leadership skills played an instrumental role in getting the rest of her team over the line in the end. The three-time WNBA champion was seen multiple times talking to her teammates, pointing out what they needed to do and cheering them on, exemplifying what it means to a pro’s pro.
Taurasi stated before the Olympics began in late July that this would be her last with Team USA. She would be 46 years old by the time Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics. While she will be a free agent come the end of this WNBA season, the 11-time All-Star has yet to rule out retirement from the sport beyond this year.
Since this is indeed her last Olympics, she has achieved so much during her career for the United States and has paved the way for the next generation of stars looking to represent the country. Players like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart will continue to carry the torch for years to come as they try to follow in the footsteps of Taurasi.
No matter what happens following the Mercury’s season, she has won everything a player can dream about and is a certified lock to be a Hall of Famer.
USA triumph over France in 67-66 nail-biting victory, capture 8th straight Olympic gold
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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
