On a segment on ‘KG Certified,’ former NBA swingman Paul Pierce delivered some high praise toward WNBA superstar, Diana Taurasi. According to Pierce, she’s one of the top 10 greatest players ever in the sport — for both men and women.
Paul Pierce: “Diana is one of the top 10 basketball players ever. And I’m talking about men and women. Decorated. Like, when you look at her career — college pro and all that — and you add that all up, she’s one of the top 10 basketball players ever. Like when you say Jordan and LeBron and Taurasi, and Cheryl Miller or whoever’s in that conversation. For men and women, she’s in the top 10.”
Kevin Garnett: “I’ll agree with that. She’s in the conversation, P… I know her pedigree, too. Diana is one them ones that when you 360 the whole parts of the game with IQ, performance, showing up, influence — she’s the epitome of that. If this is her last game, I anticipate her going out on her shield.”
When it comes to women’s basketball, there is no question that Diana Taurasi is one of the GOATs. As an 11x All-Star, former MVP, and 3x WNBA champion, her resume holds up against the best in the world and her influence on the court is undeniable. In 20 seasons, Taurasi averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game on 42.5% shooting for the Mercury.
At 42 years old, Tarasi just finished what was likely her final WNBA game. In the first round of the playoffs, she had no answer for the Lynx, who won the series in a 2-0 sweep this week. In the finale, Taurasi dropped 10 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
While she may be one of the most influential athletes in women’s basketball history, to say that she’s one of the 10 greatest players ever in the sport is a bit of a stretch. Besides the fact that women’s basketball is still developing, her lengthy list of achievements pales in comparison to some of the other legends in the sport.
When it comes to championships, Taurasi’s record matches that of Larry Bird (a 3x champion with the Celtics) but she still falls short in the category against legends like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Stephen Curry. Her single MVP win is on par with Kobe Bryant but it doesn’t hold a candle to legends like Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Needless to say, Taurasi’s place in basketball history is highly debatable. What she’s done for the WNBA and for the game in general should not be overlooked but she just hasn’t done enough to be ranked as one of the top 10 greatest players in the sport and most fans would agree that.
Of course, that’s not to say that a WNBA athlete can’t eventually make the cut. With superstars like Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, and Caitlin Clark, the W is in a great spot right now and it may only be a matter of time before they start matching pace with their NBA counterparts.
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