The W Genesis: Diana Taurasi: The Breakout Year
Diana Taurasi’s first two seasons in the WNBA were an adventure. This is the same player who was projected to be the next best thing following her dominance at UConn. Taurasi was experimental through her first two seasons, figuring out ways to dominate games the best way that she could. Luckily, year three was where she put the world on notice as one of the top offensive players in the league.
The Phoenix Mercury were still regrouping as a franchise. They won a combined 33 games during the 2004 and 2005 seasons while unfortunately falling short of playoff contention. Luckily, progress was being made for the Mercury. WNBA fans and insiders understood that this was a team that was only a few years away from emerging as one of the top teams in the league.
With Taurasi leading the way, great things were possible. Sure, she went through the ups and downs of finding her way in the WNBA. However, one couldn’t ignore Taurasi’s potential. By her third season, the Mercury continued to build around her by adding more quality pieces. One of those moves was pairing Taurasi alongside a sensational scorer named Cappie Pondexter, who was a standout during her college career at Rutgers.
By year three, everyone wanted to watch Diana Taurasi. Although she was in a different uniform, it was almost the same feeling people had when they watched her dominate at UConn. Some fans weren’t in store for what Diana Taurasi was about to display during the 2006 season. The Mercury were projected to miss the playoffs again. However, that wasn’t going to stop Taurasi from placing herself and her team in a position to progress.
Beginning: Finding Her Way
Diana Taurasi’s third season unfortunately didn’t start on the right note. The Mercury traveled to face the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs and were dominated in a 105–78 loss. Taurasi recorded only 14 points on 45 percent shooting. Truthfully, the Mercury were outmuscled in every way possible. The Monarchs approached the game on a mission to set the tone as they did dominantly.
Luckily, it was only the first game of the season. The mindset for Taurasi was to put the game behind her and move on to the next contest. Taurasi found redemption five days later against the Seattle Storm. It wasn’t a coincidence that she always finds a way to perform well against her college teammate, Sue Bird. Taurasi finished with 28 points while shooting 50 percent from the field.
Offensively, Taurasi was able to have her way. She set the tone early with her perimeter scoring and continued to be in rhythm throughout the contest. While Taurasi was having a great showing offensively, the energy couldn’t translate to the defensive end. The Mercury watched Lauren Jackson dominate with 35 points and nine rebounds. With their star player leading the way, the Storm walked out of Phoenix with a huge 94–81 victory.
The first two games of the season summed up how the Phoenix Mercury’s season was projected to go. Yes, they had tremendous talent on the roster. However, the Mercury didn’t seem like they were ready to take that next step and become a winning team.
Figuring it Out
Luckily, Taurasi was able to end the Mercury’s slow start by scoring 30 points in their first win over the Monarchs on June 6. As the season progressed, she continued to display one great scoring performance after another. There began to be a debate on who was the best scorer in the WNBA. Some people made a case for established players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, and others. However, despite not being as accomplished as the other stars, Taurasi’s name was in the conversation as one of the best shot makers in the WNBA.
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As the season continued, the Mercury showed growth compared to the beginning of the regular season. They continued to improve defensively and make great plays down the stretch of games. On July 9, Diana Taurasi had a complete performance in a road matchup against the New York Liberty. While she shot the lights out from three-point land, she also did a great job of crashing the glass and helping the Mercury gain extra possessions.
The contest was an example of Taurasi’s true leadership as she finished with 36 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. Because of her efforts, the Mercury walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 94–88 win in overtime.
Record-Breaking Performance
The buck didn’t stop there for Diana Taurasi. It was midway through the season and she was still heating up with multiple great performances. On July 27, Taurasi scored a season-high 41 points in a loss to the Houston Comets. While her dominant performance was spoiled by a tough defeat, she was able to get revenge a few weeks later.
August 10 was arguably the best performance by both a player and a team in a season. Once again, Taurasi was in enemy territory as she had to face the Comets again. Truthfully, it was difficult to slow down the Comets when they were at full strength. They featured the reigning MVP in Sheryl Swoopes alongside other contributors like Tina Thompson, Michelle Snow, Dawn Staley, and others.
Despite losing their previous matchup against the Comets, the Mercury were confident heading into this contest. While Taurasi was projected to lead the way, the rest of the team knew they had to step up significantly if they wanted to come out with a win.
Being locked in was an understatement for Diana Taurasi. She approached the game with the mentality to kill and that’s exactly what she did. Taurasi knocked down her first three a minute and a half into the game. She finished with 12 points in the first quarter and was efficient from the perimeter. The momentum continued for Taurasi as she led the Mercury to a double-digit lead at halftime. With the way the team competed on both ends of the floor, it looked as if they were on their way to a huge win.
It was an impressive first half for Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. It was a complete showing as they were able to control the game on both ends. However, the Mercury knew that the Comets wouldn’t go down without a fight. Their defense had to continue to wreak havoc and limit easy opportunities.
The Comets finished the third quarter on a 9–4 run, which allowed them to trail by three heading into the fourth quarter. Momentum was on their side as they thrived off the energy of their home crowd. With that being said, the Mercury went to Taurasi to stop the bleeding. While the Comets took the lead in the fourth, they put the ball in their best player's hands and she made big plays down the stretch.
The game needed three overtime’s to decide the winner of the contest. In the first overtime, the game looked as if it was in the hands of the Comets. They had a lead and were seconds away from winning on their home floor. However, Tauasi knocked down a huge three-pointer to tie the game at 97 with seven seconds left. It was a great drawn-up play for the Mercury to find an open look for their star player. Despite Taurasi fouling out in the second overtime, the Mercury found a way to come out on top in a huge 111–110 finish.
The contest reigns as one of the greatest performances by a player in WNBA history. Taurasi set the record for most points scored in a game with 47 points on 51 percent shooting. Not only was it impressive to display a career performance on the road but also to find a way to overcome a huge run by the Comets. The career performance officially stamped Taurasi as the best scorer in the WNBA as she led the way against one of the league’s best teams.
Conclusion
The Mercury finished the season with an impressive 18–16 record but were unable to make the playoffs. Once again, it was another improved season and another step in the right direction. Taurasi finished her stellar third season averaging a career-high 25.3 points along with 3.6 rebounds on 45 percent shooting. She not only led the WNBA in scoring but was also top 10 in three-point percentage at 39. Overall, it was a terrific offensive output by Taurasi as she put the WNBA on notice once again.
As Diana Taurasi’s career continued, she became a three-time champion, an MVP, and the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. Although the 2006 season was early in her career, it stands out as one of Taurasi’s best. The season was needed as the Mercury were trying to get on track as playoff contenders. Luckily, it paid off as they have championships to show for it.
