The W Genesis: DT The Rookie
The early years of the WNBA provided many great players who paved the way. Some of them used the league as a pit stop while leaving their mark in a short period. Some players also became generational and became a game-changer for the league. In 2004, the WNBA hit a turning point as a woman who is arguably known as one of the greatest to ever play was drafted.
By 2004, everyone knew of the name Diana Taurasi. A person may have never watched a women’s basketball game until that point. However, Taurasi already become a household name due to her illustrious career at UConn. The California native went across the country for college and won three National Championships while playing with other stars like Sue Bird, Swin Cash, and others.
What was it that made Taurasi great? The superstar guard was unstoppable on the offensive end as she was a lethal shooter. However, the real reason Taurasi was a great player was her competitive spirit. She had will like none other and pushed herself to beyond greatness. That attitude throughout college was what prepared her for a legendary WNBA career.
Draft Night: Heading to the Desert
Taurasi was projected as the number-one pick in 2004. Who could blame a franchise for taking the opportunity to add her to their roster? Taurasi was the best player in college and she couldn’t be ignored. Luckily, the Phoenix Mercury were the ones who won the Lottery Draft and snatched Taurasi with the number one pick.
The Mercury were a franchise that was rebuilding for the future. They were years past the glory days of the late 1990s when Jennifer Gillom, Michele Timms, and others led the franchise to the 1998 WNBA Finals. The Mercury were back to square one in the early 2000s. Before Taurasi’s arrival, Phoenix had three consecutive losing seasons which included an 8–26 record in 2003.
Taurasi was expected to become a savior in the Desert. Once she stepped foot in Arizona, the expectations were high to lead the Mercury back to the glory days. As a rookie, Taurasi was placed next to key players like Penny Taylor, Anna DeForge, Plenette Pierson, and others. Looking at how the roster was constructed, it looked as if the Mercury would display another losing season. Luckily, Taurasi’s presence lifted everyone’s belief that the team could shock the world in 2004.
Just Getting Started
May 20 was the date that was circled across every WNBA fan’s calendar. Not only was it opening day for the league but also Taurasi’s professional debut. With the dominance Taurasi displayed in college, this was her moment to showcase her talent at the next level. A great first performance can potentially set the tone for how she wanted her rookie season to go.
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Taurasi poured in 22 points in her WNBA Debut in a loss to the Sacramento Monarchs. Despite being in foul trouble, she showed how dangerous she could be on the offensive end. Taurasi made the Monarchs pay by finding ways to create open looks and shooting with confidence. Taurasi’s first performance may have not resulted in a win but gave fans optimism for a great career ahead.
Losing on opening day was a stinger for the Mercury. They felt as if they had all of the tools to win but unfortunately fell short. Luckily, Taurasi and the Mercury found a way to bounce back. On May 28, Taurasi faced her college teammate Sue Bird for the first time. Although the instant connection was there between the two, the Mercury guard’s competitiveness kicked in as she understood the reality that they were opponents.
Taurasi shined with 22 points and five assists for the Mercury while Bird was a shooting machine with 22 points for the Seattle Storm. Luckily, it was Phoenix who came out on top in an 84–76 win at home.
At this point, the Mercury were 3–1 to begin the season. The fans were ecstatic as they felt as if a playoff push was a possibility. Although it was early in the season, anything was possible. The Mercury wanted to continue the momentum they built from their strong start and continue their surge for success. However, they showed a young team also needed patience. After their 3–1 start, the Mercury lost four of their next six games with a 5–5 record through their first 10 games.
Taurasi continued to shine for the Mercury with great performances. Although it was early in the season, she was making a strong case for the Rookie of the Year Award. However, Taurasi still showed growing pains as a young player and had areas in her game that needed improvement. As a lead guard, she had to find a way to get the best out of others on the offensive end. Defensively, Tauraso also had to learn to stay disciplined as she fouled out three times in her first eight games.
Breakout Performances
Despite the ups and downs as a rookie, Taurasi had the most complete game on July 1st against the Charlotte Sting. If you ask me, it was a performance that stamped her for being the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Taurasi put up a near triple-double with 29 points to go with seven rebounds and eight assists.
From the first half, she was in control of the game by dictating the pace and finding ways to be effective on offense. Thanks to Taurasi leading the way, players like DeForge and Pierson also shined for big-scoring performances. Phoenix’s big night on offense was too much for the Sting to contain as they walked away with a 71–59 victory.
As the season continued, Diana Taurasi continued to shine for the Mercury. As for the team, they continued to have ups and downs as they had multiple winning and losing streaks that occurred. Despite their inconsistencies, Taurasi finished the season strong. She scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win over the Houston Comets while later scoring 25 points against the Washington Mystics. While the Mercury finished the season at 17–17, it wasn’t good enough to clinch a playoff seed.
Conclusion
Diana Taurasi stole the show as a rookie by averaging 17 points along with 4.4 rebounds, four assists, and 1.3 steals. Her season was so impressive that she ran away with the Rookie of the Year Award as well as being named All-WNBA First Team. When looking back on Taurasi’s career, several seasons stood out as she won multiple championships as well as one MVP. However, the first season stands out as it set the tone for a legendary career.
