Mercury’s Diana Taurasi had biggest impact on Arizona sports

Diana Taurasi was given the moniker the White Mamba for a reason by Kobe Bryant. It’s because greatness recognizes greatness.

There is no doubt that DT is currently the best women’s basketball player in the history of the game. You don’t even have to look at her stats to confirm it. Just turn to her trophy case, which is packed tighter than a dad driving a Mini Cooper for his kid’s school carpool. It is home to three NCAA championships, two NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player awards, WNBA Rookie of the Year, three WNBA championships, one regular-season MVP, two WNBA Finals MVPs and six — yes six — gold medals. And that’s the CliffsNotes version.

To argue her place in the pantheon of the game would be at best an act of futility and at worst just plain crazy. The question in the Valley becomes, is she simply the greatest athlete in Phoenix sports history?

The only answer is Diana Taurasi

Some will argue Charles Barkley but — and this is coming from an admitted Sir Charles homer — he only won a MVP and a Western Conference championship while lasting just four seasons in the Valley before asking out. Sure, his time was special and provided memories that will forever be ingrained in our brains, but he lacked the longevity and all-encompassing success required to be the greatest.

Steve Nash had the longevity between his two stints in the Valley and collected more hardware — at least personally — than Barkley with his back-to-back MVPs, but he never got further than the Western Conference Finals. It’s hard to put him at the top of the mountain because of it.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner falls under the Barkley category — great player, great guy and great memories, but the time spent in the Valley was limited and so was the long-term success.

Jake Plummer’s senior season at ASU was magical, but it was one year and ended in crushing defeat at the hands of David Boston and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Not worthy of the distinction of “greatest of all time.”

The Arizona Diamondbacks boast the state’s only other championship in a major pro sport, with Luis Gonzalez leading the way. He, like Plummer, had one extremely magical season. The problem was, he didn’t sustain it over a long period of time, nor did he win the individual accolades.

Randy Johnson was another major reason for that Diamondbacks championship. His resume is impressive. The World Series championship, Co-MVP of the World Series, five All-Star game appearances, four Cy Young Awards, and a perfect game in 8 seasons. While his accolades and accomplishments speak for themselves, he only helped lead Arizona to three playoff appearances and had a 5-3 post season record. While the 2001 run was probably the best singular playoff run and his World Series heroics are legendary, it’s not enough to be No. 1 all-time.

Larry Fitzgerald can see the summit of the mountain. His career spanned 17 seasons, all in the Valley. His numbers make him undoubtedly one of the best wide receivers in NFL history – and if you consider the QBs he played with, maybe the best – while having the most success the Cardinals franchise ever had in the desert. But he never won an MVP, never won a Super Bowl or NCAA championship, and never ranked higher than No. 7 in the NFL’s Top 100 list. Larry is a legend by every standard, but is he the GOAT?

There is one athlete that checks all the boxes with longevity, individual accolades, championships and an intense passion for Phoenix. That’s right, Diana Taurasi and her signature bun have been a mainstay in Phoenix for over two decades. She’s won three championships, a multitude of awards, has the most points in league history, and her silhouette is even the league’s logo. All of this while being the heart and soul of the franchise the entire time.

If this is the end of the line for DT, we’ve all had the privilege to witness greatness at the highest level from an athlete who changed her sport and the lives of young female athletes forever. The Phoenix Mercury won’t be the same without her, but the league, the Valley and basketball won’t be the same because of her.

Great may recognize great, but it’s time for the Valley as a whole to recognize just what Diana Taurasi has meant, because she might just be gone for the first time since 2004.