After etching her name into the UConn women’s basketball history books, Diana Taurasi quickly became a household name in the WNBA, where she played for 20 legendary years and cemented her place as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Taurasi’s career with the Phoenix Mercury included winning three WNBA titles, league MVP (2009) and two WNBA Finals MVP awards. Her college career was just as remarkable, as she led UConn to three NCAA championships.
Beyond her dominance in the WNBA and NCAA, Taurasi also holds the record for the most basketball gold medals in Olympic history as of the 2024 Olympics, winning six consecutive golds with Team USA.
She announced her retirement on Feb. 25, 2025, but her legacy will forever be in women’s basketball history.
Let’s look back at Taurasi’s unforgettable run at UConn, where she played under the now-all-time winningest women’s college basketball coach, Geno Auriemma.
Career stats
Taurasi made history at UConn as the first player to accumulate 2,000 points, 600 assists and 600 rebounds in a career. Her total of 2,156 points currently ranks 10th on UConn’s all-time scoring list as of March 1, 2025. Her team posted an incredible 139-8 record during her time at UConn.
Here’s her stats from each season:
| Season | FG% | 3-pt% | FT% | RPG | APG | Blocks | PTS | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | .444 | .386 | .878 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 29 | 361 | 10.9 |
| 2001-02 | .494 | .440 | .828 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 46 | 564 | 14.6 |
| 2002-03 | .476 | .350 | .815 | 6.1 | 4.4 | 45 | 663 | 17.9 |
| 2003-04 | .456 | .390 | .795 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 27 | 568 | 16.2 |
| Totals | .469 | .392 | .819 | 4.4 | 648 | 147 | 2,156 | 15.0 |
2001 Final Four
Taurasi averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists her freshmen year.
UConn came close to a national title but fell short in the Final Four, losing to Notre Dame in a heartbreaking game that ended their season with a 32-3 record.
After the loss, Taurasi said, “We will not lose another tournament game while I’m wearing this uniform.”
She was indeed correct — the Huskies went on to win three consecutive national championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004, with Taurasi playing a pivotal role in each of them. You can count on one hand how many times the Huskies lost during the entire three-season championship run at UConn (107-5).
2002 NCAA championship
As a sophomore, Taurasi helped lead UConn to a perfect 39-0 season, averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds.
In the title game against Oklahoma, UConn triumphed 82-70. Taurasi finished the game with 13 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
With just 1:31 remaining and the score at 73-67, Taurasi, hit a crucial jumper and followed it up with a free throw to put UConn up by nine.
From there, the Huskies sealed the win by making free throws down the stretch, claiming their third national championship in program history.
2003 NCAA championship
The 2003 season saw UConn suffer just one loss — against Villanova in the Big East tournament final — finishing the season 37-1. It’s crazy to think that at the end of her junior season, Taurasi had just four total losses under her belt. Oh, and yes, that she won the national title again.
Taurasi averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists during the 2002-2003 season.
Her stellar performance in the national championship game against Tennessee included 28 points on 8 of 15 shooting, sinking four 3-pointers. Her 28 points were the second-most ever scored in a national championship game at that time.
Taurasi also added four rebounds, an assist and a block in the hard-fought win over Tennessee, 73-68. She was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
2004 NCAA championship
In Taurasi’s senior season, she averaged 16.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds.
The Huskies faced Tennessee in the title game once again, and despite having four losses (31-4) — which tied the amount of losses the Huskies had over all three previous seasons combined — the team remained dominant.
UConn claimed its third consecutive national championship in a 70-61 victory, cementing its place in history.
Before winning the national title for the third time, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said “We have Diana and you don’t.”
Taurasi’s leadership was crucial, posting 17 points, three rebounds and two assist. She was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player again.
She went on to become the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, where she won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
Throughout her college years, Taurasi amassed numerous individual accolades. Here are some of her standout awards:
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2001 | All-Big East Rookie Team selection |
| 2001 | Associated Press Second Team All-American |
| 2001 | Big East Championship Most Outstanding Player |
| 2001 | Kodak All-American |
| 2002 | All-Big East First Team selection |
| 2002 | Associated Press All-American |
| 2002 | Kodak All-American |
| 2003 | All-Big East First Team selection |
| 2003 | Associated Press All-American |
| 2003 | Associated Press Player of the Year |
| 2003 | Big East Player of the Year |
| 2003 | Final Four Most Outstanding Player |
| 2003 | Naismith College Player of the Year |
| 2003 | Kodak All-American |
| 2003 | USBWA National Player of the Year |
| 2003 | Wade Trophy |
| 2004 | All-Big East First Team selection |
| 2004 | Associated Press All-American |
| 2004 | Big East Player of the Year |
| 2004 | Final Four Most Outstanding Player |
| 2004 | Naismith College Player of the Year |
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