Lakers News: WNBA Superstar Reflects on Significance of Playing in House That Kobe Built

The 18-time L.A. All-Star was (ahem) a staple at the former Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena.

December 29, 2019; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant with daughter Natalia speak with Lakers minority owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi is indisputably one of the greatest WNBA players in league history. The 6-footer has excelled at every level. She won three NCAA championships and was twice named the Naismith College Player of the Year during her tenure with the University of Connecticut Huskies.

Taurasi is also an 11-time WNBA All-Star (including this season, at age 42), a 14-time All-WNBA Team honoree, a three-time champion, a one-time league MVP, a five-time scoring champion, and a one-time assists leader. This year, her Mercury finished with a sub-.500 record, 19-21, but still secured the No. 7 overall seed heading into this year's playoffs.

The Mercury will suit up against the No. 2-seeded, 30-10 Minnesota Lynx for a best-of-three first round series starting on Sunday.

During a recent bout at Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Sparks, the L.A.-area native reflected with Nikki Kay of Spectrum SportsNet on playing what could be one of the last regular season games of her career there.

"I grew up watching the greats here... I got to honor Kobe here, my whole family is from here... this is home." Diana Taurasi with @NikkiKaySN1 on what it means to play in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/JhgSHpkDAt

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) September 18, 2024

“I grew up watching the greats here. I got to play here," Taurasi said. "I got to honor Kobe here. My whole family is from here, we migrated here 40 years ago. This is home.”

Taurasi was born in Glendale and attended high school at Don Antonio Lugo in Chino.

In 2024, Taurasi suited up for the most regular season contests of her career, playing 36 games. She averaged 14.9 points on .400/.333/.857 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.6 steals a night.

Taurasi was a longtime disciple of former five-time Los Angeles Lakers championship-winning shooting guard Kobe Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who played all 20 of his pro seasons in L.A. Taurasi, selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, has similarly spent all 20 of her seasons with Phoenix (she was paid to sit out the 2015 season by her then-Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg).

It's unclear as of this writing whether or not Taurasi will return for a 21st season in the league next year. Her Mercury club is in a good place with her in the backcourt, and the WNBA is more popular than ever even while she still is playing at a pretty elite level. Taurasi may not be in her MVP prime anymore, but that doesn't mean she couldn't prove her mettle for another year or two, with viewership reaching all-time highs.

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