WNBA: Will Kelsey Plum, Caitlin Clark create Taurasi-like chaos?

On Tuesday, Diana Taurasi announced her retirement from professional basketball after 20 WNBA seasons. Of course, her on-court legacy is monumental to the sport, to the Phoenix Mercury, to USA Basketball and beyond. She has a resume full of accolades that many athletes will not even get close to replicating.

Yet, as much as her basketball talent was front of mind in her two decades as a professional, it was also her personality and antics that made her such a legend. She was known for getting technical fouls, trash talking her opponents, trash talking the referees, and being very colorful on the court. It made her a joy to watch, not only during the run of play but also during dead-ball moments.

So, with DT hanging it up for good, who will fill the Taurasi-sized hole in the door (and in our hearts)? Sure, there are many exciting guards to watch in game action, but who will step into her shoes in terms of antics? Let’s go over a few options:

Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)

Caitlin Clark has been called a mini-Taurasi since her days at Iowa. Not only do their games have similarities—clutch shots from distance, flashy passes etc.—but so do their demeanors. Clark is not one to hide her emotions during games. She expresses big reactions and sometimes the need to calm down just a little. There are videos of her Fever teammates trying to do that, but not all on-court emotion is bad, as Taurasi often proved.

The thing that DT mastered is her charm. She could curse out a referee and sweet talk them a minute later. She was a menace on the court and adored off of it. She knew exactly when to blow her top and exactly when (most of the time) to rein it back in so she could be there for her team. If Clark is going to fill those shoes, her antics will need to get a bit more playful and less reactionary. Still, Clark has intense potential to entertain us in similar ways to Taurasi.

Paige Bueckers (UConn)

Another player that looks incredibly Taurasi-like on court? Paige Bueckers, her fellow UConn Husky coached by Geno Auriemma. There are times Paige makes shots in the UConn blue and white that make people feel like they are back in 2003 watching a young Taurasi. Bueckers is dynamic, smart and can contribute a little bit of everything to a game.

Yet, when it comes to being a menace, Paige is just too sweet and nice (right now) to fully embody Taurasi’s chaos demon mentality. She is a baby menace when it comes to pranking her coach or joking with teammates, but if she trash talked me I’d probably say, “Aw, she’s so cute.” She just has undeniable puppy energy.

Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks)

Kelsey Plum has already been establishing herself as a WNBA chaos demon. Her interactions with Spike Lee during the 2024 WNBA semifinals alone are reason to add her to this list. She isn’t afraid to be vocal, interact with people sitting courtside and give it to her opponents.

In the immediate future, I think Plum is the closest we are going to get to fully-developed Taurasi energy.

Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)

The youngest player on this list, Hannah Hidalgo is already showing off her personality at Notre Dame. The sophomore is not afraid to take big shots, usually makes them and loves to show a little passion on the court. In these ways, she is another replica of Taurasi.

Hidalgo may also play a smiiiiiidge more defense than DT was known to, which also helps out her overall game. If she is already being this vocal and passionate on the floor as a college sophomore, imagine what we will see when she gets a bit older, and even more talented.

There will never truly be another Diana Taurasi in the WNBA, and doors around the league sigh in relief at that.