Diana Taurasiis an American basketball player. She plays professionally for the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) Phoenix Mercury and the UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia. Diana Taurasi has been dubbed one of the greatest women in basketball and is famous for her ability to score in very sticky situations. This earned her the nickname “White Mamba” from Kobe Bryant and was then adopted by her friends and her fans. Another basketball player named DeAndre Ayton calls her the “Michael Jordan of WNBA”. Diana began her career after college when she was selected by the Phoenix Mercury as the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. When she started, she was the main guard on her team but also had to play up front because there were shorter players in her team’s starting blocks.

Diana Taurasi was a member of the USA Women’s 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic gold-medal basketball teams. In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the top 15 players in the 15-year history of the WNBA. Diana has won WNBA championships in 2007, 2009, and 2014, and won in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, as well as Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. She was honored with the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2009, Rookie of the Year Award in 2004, and WNBA Finals MVP Awards in 2009 and 2014. She is one of 10 women to have won an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA championship, and a WNBA 18 championship June 2017.

Born name

Diana Lorena Taurasi

nickname

White mamba

Sun sign

Twins

Place of birth

Glendale, California, USA

nationality

training

Diana Taurasi attended Don Antonio Lugo High School in Chino, California. She then enrolled at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs, Connecticut, USA and began playing for the women’s basketball team.

occupation

basketball player

family

• Father – Mario Taurasi (Soccer Professional)
• Mother – Liliana Taurasi
• Siblings – Jessika Taurasi (Older Sister)

Manager

Diana Taurasi is represented by –

• Jim Pitman (Phoenix Mercury General Manager)
• Wasserman Media Group

Build

Athletic

Height

6ft or 183cm

weight

68 kg or 150 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Diana Taurasi has dated –

1. Penny Taylor (2017-Present) – Penny Taylor is an Australian retired professional basketball player who once played alongside Diana Taurasi at the Phoenix Mercury. They married in 2017 and had their first child on March 1, 2018 when Taylor gave birth to a boy, Leo Michael Taurasi-Taylor.

race/ethnicity

Multiracial (White and Hispanic)

She is of Italian and Argentine descent.

hair colour

Schwarz

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Lesbian

distinguishing features

• athletic body
• high altitude

brand promotion

Diana Taurasi has not yet done any endorsement work for any brand.

Known for

• Winner of WNBA Championships, WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, WNBA Finals MVP Awards, Olympic Gold Medals, Titles and WNBA Rookie of the Year Award
• Score in difficult situations

first movie

Diana Taurasi made her film debut as O’Keene Coach in the 2006 film Believe in Me .

First TV show

She made her first television appearance as herself in the documentary series 60 Minutes in 2004.

Diana Taurasi Facts

1. She married Penny Taylor in Phoenix, Arizona, where Taurasi plays for the Phoenix Mercury and Taylor works as the team’s director of player development.
2. While Diana Taurasi was in high school, she received the 2000 Cheryl Miller Award. It was presented by the Los Angeles Times for the best basketball player in Southern California. She was also the 1999 and 2000 Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year and National High School Player of the Year by Parade magazine and was named Naismith in 2000.
3. She has received numerous awards, including the 2016 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year and the 2014 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
4. In 2009, Diana Taurasi was pulled over by a police officer while driving for allegedly speeding at 2:30 p.m. She did some breathalyzer tests because the officer could detect alcohol. The result of the blood test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.17. This resulted in a two-game suspension in the same month.
5. She pleaded guilty to DUI and was allowed to spend a full day in jail out of the 10 days she was sentenced to. A judge suspended the remaining 9 days.
6. Diana Taurasi competed in the 2000 WBCA High School All-America game. She scored 12 points in the game and received the MVP award.
7. Diana began playing for the 2000-2001 women’s basketball season while attending the University of Connecticut.
8. Awards she won at college include the 2003 and 2004 Naismith College Player of the Year awards, the 2003 Wade Trophy, and the 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year awards.
9. A former NBA coach, Paul Westhead became Phoenix Mercury’s coach and began working with Diana and other team members prior to the start of the 2006 season. Diana progressed under his rule because he changed the list and trained better. She scored multiple goals and earned a third straight trip to the All Star Game.
10. Diana Taurasi was a member of the USA Women’s Olympic Basketball Team in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
11. To some of her Connecticut fans, Diana is a legend. She was also nominated as a Hero of the State for Prudence Crandall by state Senator Thomas Gaffey.
12. In 2012, Diana Taurasi strained her left hip and was only able to play 8 games in the entire season.
13. Because of Diana Taurasi, one makes a lot more when her Russian Premier League team played overseas more than she earned with the WNBA and asked her to sit out the 2015 WNBA season so she could play in her team. They offered her about $1.5 million compared to her WNBA salary of about $107,000.
14. Visit Diana Taurasi’s official website at dianataurasi.com.
15. Follow Diana Taurasi on Facebook and Twitter.