Which Diana Taurasi WNBA season is the best Diana Taurasi WNBA season?
Which Diana Taurasi WNBA season is the best Diana Taurasi WNBA season?
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Listing the records and accolades that Diana Taurasi holds in the WNBA would make for a long list. She is undoubtedly one of the most decorated basketball players to ever step foot on a court. And we can all agree that she is one of the most talented players to ever play the game. But which season was her best? When was she at the peak of her abilities? Inspired by an essay in Shea Serrano’s book Basketball and Other Things, I set about researching and ranking each of Diana Taurasi’s seasons.
How does one go about ranking the individual seasons of the WNBA’s most prolific shooter? To do so, I established the following criteria:
Individual Stats. Typically a good indicator of a player’s ability.
Team Success. There are great players, and then there are great players who can lead. Taurasi is a great player and a proven leader who has brought multiple championships and playoff appearances to her team.
Playoff Performance. Making the playoffs is hard enough; upping your game and winning championships is even harder.
Awards. Individual accolades are also considered. In Taurasi’s case, they show consistency at a high level.
A couple of notes:
Taurasi was limited by injury in 2012 (left hip flexor strain) and 2019 (back surgery, hamstring injury), playing in only eight and six games, respectively. So those seasons are not considered.
She also sat out the 2015 season to rest at the request of UMMC Ekaterinburg, her Russian club team, so there is no 2015 season to rank.
That leaves us with 13 seasons ranking from good to awe-inspiring. And in those 13 seasons, Taurasi was *at worst* an All-WNBA Second-Team selection. Let’s get to it!
#13
Taurasi scored 20 or more points 11 times, including three games with 30 or more. “Playoff Taurasi” was in full effect as she scored 20 or more in four out of five games, including 30 against New York in a single-elimination game and 31 against Minnesota in the semi-finals. She also went 32 for 33 from the free-throw line (97%).
#12
Another record-setting season for DT as she surpassed Tina Thompson to move into first place on the career points list (she currently has 8,575 and counting).
#11
I’m not one that believes in the sophomore slump. But while Taurasi’s numbers in her second WNBA season took a small hit in 2005, she still improved her free throw percentage as well as her points per scoring attempt. The Mercury finished 16-18 and missed the playoffs. The good news is that Taurasi was getting ready to make the jump to superstar status.
#10
Taurasi handily won the 2004 Rookie of the Year award, amassing 42 of a possible 48 votes. She finished fourth in the league in scoring and was named to her first All WNBA First Team. Given her ability to handle the jump from college to the pro game, Taurasi was tasked with a lot of the offensive load for Phoenix. She scored 20 points or more 13 times and led her team in scoring and assists.
#9
Taurasi went on a tear in 2011. She scored 20 or more points 23 times, including three games with 30 or more. Despite being swept out of the playoffs by a monster Minnesota team (who went 27-7 in the regular season), Taurasi still scored 22 points in each of the Mercury’s two losses against the Lynx. She capped off her year with a fourth straight scoring title (fifth in six years) and another All-WNBA First-Team selection.
#8
Taurasi scored 20 or more points 19 times in the regular season, including three games with 30 or more. She finished the season in the top two in scoring and assists. In the playoffs, Taurasi went 38 for 40 at the free-throw line, good for 95%. She only had one game shooting over 40% in the playoffs but still managed to average 20.8 points over five playoff games.
#7
Taurasi and the Mercury went scorched earth on the league en route to a 29-5 record. They won 16 in a row, a streak in which she averaged 17.8 PPG on 43.8% shooting and 46.6% from deep. While 2014 wasn’t Taurasi’s most statistically impressive regular season, she upped her game in the playoffs to lead Phoenix to a third title. Over eight playoff games, Taurasi averaged 21.9 PPG on 49.2% shooting. Phoenix swept Chicago out of the Finals. In Game 3, Taurasi sucked the life out of the Chicago crowd by going off for 24 points in the series-clinching game on her way to her third WNBA Championship and second WNBA Finals MVP award.
#6
Taurasi was entering her 14th year in the league and coming off of two straight All-WNBA Second-Team selections (the extent of her “down” years) in 2018. However, history was in the cards for Taurasi that season. She became the first player in WNBA history to make 1,000 three-pointers and score 8,000 points in their career. In the semi-final match-up against the Seattle Storm, Taurasi and the Mercury came back from an 0-2 deficit to tie the series at 2-2. While ultimately coming up short, that series is remembered for two things:
Sue Bird’s epic fourth quarter in Game 5, where she scored 14 points and sent Phoenix packing.
Taurasi’s game-tying three-pointer to send Game 2 into overtime. To be more specific, it was an off-balance, off-the-dribble three-pointer with two sets of defenders’ hands in her face.
Despite coming up short at a chance to make the Finals, Taurasi re-established herself with her 10th All WNBA First Team selection.
#5
2010 was an odd year in the WNBA. Despite their 15-19 record, Phoenix still managed to finish second in the Western Conference, 13 games behind a 28-6 Seattle Storm. Taurasi had a great year, scoring 20 points or more 20 times, including seven games of 30 or more. Her season-high of 44 came in a 107-111 triple-overtime loss to Seattle. To pour more salt in the wound, the Mercury were unceremoniously swept out of the semi-finals by that same Seattle team. On the bright side, Taurasi finished the season with her third straight (fourth overall) scoring title.
#4
Taurasi carried her momentum from her successful 2006 into 2007. The Mercury finished with a 23-11 record, their best record since she was drafted. Taurasi and her teammates swept the 17-17 Seattle Storm (she scored 22 points in Game 1 and 20 in Game 2). They brought out their brooms again to make quick work of the 20-14 San Antonio Silver Stars. They then took the Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Shock to five games, winning Game 5 on the road by 16 points, giving Taurasi her first WNBA Championship. Overall, Taurasi shot 50.4% from the floor in the playoffs, scoring 20 or more points in six out of nine games.
#3
Taurasi’s 25.3 PPG that year stands as the highest per-game average in WNBA history, winning Taurasi her first scoring title. The Mercury narrowly missed the playoffs thanks to a three-way tie for third place, with Phoenix the odd team out due to tiebreaker rules. Despite missing the playoffs, Taurasi had an incredible offensive season. She scored 20 or more points an other-worldly 26 times, including scoring 47 and 41 in two games against Houston. Taurasi led the league in minutes played, field goals made and attempted, and three-point field goals.
#2
Taurasi’s 2008 season ranks as one of the best offensive seasons ever in the WNBA. Taurasi scored 20 or more points 26 times (for the second time in her career), including 30 or more 10 times. She won her second scoring title with 24.2 points per game (the second-highest average of her career), almost three points more than runner-up Cappie Pondexter (21.2 PPG). She led the league in Offensive Win Shares with 7.19 (against 7.4 total win shares).
#1
This was Diana Taurasi at the peak of her powers. Not only did she lead the Mercury to their second title in three years, but she also led the team to the best record in the Western Conference after missing the playoffs the year prior. Taurasi won her third scoring title in four years. She scored 20 or more points 20 times, including hitting 30 or more twice. In the Finals, the Mercury beat the 22-12 Indiana Fever, which boasted a league-leading 94.5 defensive rating. She averaged 22.3 PPG in her 11 playoff games (her second-highest playoff average). Taurasi took home all the hardware in 2009, capping the greatest season for the most prolific shooter to ever play in the WNBA.
All stats were compiled from WNBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com. Photo Credit: Chris Poss
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