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Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi makes a surprise prediction for the young player she believes will eventually emerge as the WNBA’s best.
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Taurasi knows a thing or two about what it takes to be great in the league.
During a 20-year career, the former University of Connecticut guard averaged 18.8 points on .425/.360/.870 shooting splits, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per bout for the Mercury.
Tony Gutierre/AP Photo
She was named the 2009 MVP, a 14-time All-WNBA honoree and an 11-time All-Star, while winning three WNBA titles during her reign — including two Finals MVPs.
Taurasi has also been a member of the league’s 15th, 20th and 25th Anniversary Teams, celebrating the 15, 20 and 25 best players in WNBA history.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Ben Pickman on his podcast “No Offseason,” Taurasi revealed that she believes another Geno Auriemma Huskies great, Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers, is poised to one day stake her claim as the best player in the league.
“The WNBA, it’s a different beast,” Taurasi said. “There’s different challenges as an individual, as a team. When you get drafted No. 1, you’re usually going to a team that’s rebuilding, that’s starting to try something new. There’s a lot of challenges when you get to a team and a franchise that’s rebuilding, and you kind of have to change your outlook on wins and losses.”
The 6-footer, 23, numbered among a starry NCAA freshman class that also included last year’s No. 1 draft pick, Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark. She was the no-brainer top selection in the 2025 WNBA Draft, and has already improved in just her first four pro games with the Wings.
“You take the wins as far as getting better every single game,” Taurasi said. “As you can tell already, Paige, from Game 1 to Game 2, she was a different player. And from Game 2 to Game 10, she’s going to be a different player. And that’s going to go for their team as well, as they learn each other on the court and off the court as well.”
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In that first contest, a 15-point blowout loss to Bueckers’ hometown Minnesota Lynx on May 16, the rookie guard scored 10 points on just 3-of-10 shooting from the field, grabbed seven boards, dished out two dimes and blocked a shot.
To Taurasi’s point, Bueckers nearly doubled her output in Game 2, on markedly better shooting efficiency. She scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 shooting from the charity stripe, passed for eight assists, swiped two steals and registered one rejection.
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“So the one thing I know about Paige is she’s so grounded, she’s so patient, she’s so prepared. And I think she’s learned that in the last four or five years [of an injury-laden NCAA career],” Taurasi said. “And all those things that she learned at Connecticut, they’re going to change the way you look at that team. One day she’s going to be the best player in the league, for sure.”
Across four healthy games so far, Bueckers is averaging 13.0 points on .340/.333/.778 shooting splits, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.
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