Diana Taurasi - The Ruler

BASKETBALL - WNBA - PHOENIX MERCURY - TEAM USA - OLYMPIAN

ARCHETYPE: THE RULER

Day 132/135

Athletic Accomplishments

Diana Taura is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. She currently plays guard for the Phoenix Mercury and for Team USA, in pursuit of her fifth Olympic gold medal at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.

Taurasi grew up in Southern California, where she was a standout player. She was named California’s Ms. Basketball in both 1999 and 2000, and received the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award, presented by the Los Angeles Times to the best player in Southern California. She also received national attention and honors, named as a WBCA All-American and winning the 2000 Naismith and Parade Magazine National High School Player of the Year.

That talent took Taurasi to UConn in 2001, where she led the Huskies to three consecutive NCAA championships (2002-2004). She cleaned up in national awards while in college, winning the the 2003 Wade Trophy and 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year. She was also named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament, Naismith College Player of the Year, and won the Honda Sports Award and Nancy Lieberman Award in both 2003 and 2004.

In the 2004 WNBA Draft, Taurasi was selected as the No. 1 pick by the Phoenix Mercury, where she has played for her entire WNBA career. In her first year, she was named as an All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year Award, and has not taken her foot off the gas pedal since:
3× WNBA champion (2007, 2009, 2014)
2× WNBA Finals MVP (2009, 2014)
WNBA MVP (2009)
10× WNBA All-Star (2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2013–2014, 2017–2018, 2021)
10× All-WNBA First Team (2004, 2006–2011, 2013, 2014, 2018)
WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time (2011)
WNBA Top 20@20 (2016)
5× WNBA scoring champion (2006, 2008–2011)
WNBA assists leader (2014)
6× WNBA Peak Performer (2006, 2007, 2009–2011, 2014)
WNBA all-time scoring leader
4× USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (2006, 2010, 2012, 2016)

Interestingly, Taurasi has done all of that in the WNBA while posting a stunning international career, racking up team and individual titles:
6× Euroleague champion (2007–2010, 2013, 2016)
7× Russian National League champion (2007, 2008, 2013–2017)
3× Russian Cup winner (2013–2014, 2017)
3× Russian League Player of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009)
Turkish National League champion (2011)
Turkish Cup winner (2012)

In fact, she sat out the entire 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, to prevent Taurasi from getting injured as she had during the prior season’s EuroLeague final. UMMC paid Taurasi more to sit out the season than she did making less than the then-WNBA maximum of $107,000. Her decision to sit out sparked a huge debate and discussion about salary policies in American women's professional sports (only further advanced when Breanna Stewart tore her achilles tendon in 2018 playing overseas), which led to monumental, player-friendly changes in the landmark 2020 WNBA collective bargaining agreement.

Character Archetype: The Ruler

Diana Taurasi is the all-time leading scorer of the WNBA and—by most accounts—the greatest player to ever play in the league. A three-time WNBA champ, 10x All-Star, five-time scoring champion, and four-time USA Basketball Athlete of the Year. GOAT status.

DT is a playmaker. She has the shot, the footwork, the moves, and most of all—the killer instinct. That killer instinct—and her ability to score in the clutch—is what got Kobe Bryant, her longtime friend and fellow Slytherin, to don Taurasi with the nickname “The White Mamba.” They’re kindred spirits.

Taurasi is a highly regarded shit-talker. She’s loud, physical, and not afraid to mix it up. To a lot of players, fans, and refs, DT is intimidating. And it’s kinda obvious that she enjoys that. It fuels her.

Some have asked whether I’d cast Taurasi as a villain archetype, but that’s not accurate. She’s a phenomenal teammate who elevates everyone’s game. And with the exception of a DUI in 2009, Taurasi stays out of trouble. But people still see her as a bad guy because she’s a little cocky and doesn’t play nice. But nice doesn’t always get you where you want to go.

Taurasi wants to be the best, and she is. And she also wants you to know that she knows that you know she’s the best. She’s not afraid to make enemies, as long as she keeps the crown.