Diana Taurasi

Diana Taurasi was an American professional basketball player who won three gold medals as a member of the Team USA Women's Basketball team. Born in Glendale, California and raised in Chino, you might say that Taurasi was born to be a star athlete. Her father Mario, who was born in Italy, was a professional soccer player for an Italian football club. As a result, Taurasi spent a good deal of her early childhood traveling around the world with her father's team, which subsequently allowed her to spend a great deal of time with professional athletes. Hence, it wasn't long before young Diana decided that one day she wanted to play professional sports. Taurasi's gift for playing basketball was apparent at a young age, and by the time she was a teenager she was already excelling on her high school basketball team. She won numerous high school awards for her prowess on the court, and by the time senior year rolled around, Taurasi was one of the most hotly recruited players in the country. She eventually settled on the University of Connecticut, where over the next four years she wowed UConn fans with her aggressive style of play. Taurasi also led the Huskies to three consecutive NCAA Championships, which established her as one of the most elite players to ever step foot on a basketball court. After graduation the Phoenix Mercury selected Taurasi as the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft. Her professional career was equally as successful, and included seven All-Star selections, three WNBA Championships, as well as the WNBA MVP Award in 2009. In addition to her sterling professional basketball career, Taurasi also helped lead Team USA to three gold medal wins in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics. In 2016, at the age of 33, Taurasi showed no signs of slowing down. She made her fourth consecutive Olympic appearance at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she hoped to win another gold medal for Team USA.