Earlier than she turned a record-setting professional basketball participant, Diana Taurasi was a younger athlete in Chino with massive desires.
Her father, Mario Taurasi, was an expert soccer participant in Italy. His daughter confirmed promise in each soccer and basketball, however the latter sport gained her coronary heart. After getting her first supply from a neighborhood faculty within the eighth grade, she by no means seemed again.
After three NCAA championships, three WNBA championships and 6 Olympic gold medals, the star Kobe Bryant agreed ought to be generally known as the “White Mamba” introduced her retirement.
Larry Webster was Taurasi’s coach for all 4 years of her profession at Don Lugo Excessive till she graduated in 2000. He retired in 2004, however Webster has adopted Taurasi’s profession ever since she left Don Lugo. The next interview with Webster has been edited for size and readability:
Diana Taurasi celebrates after making a three-point in opposition to Spain in the course of the gold medal sport on the 2016 Olympics. She closed her profession with six Olympic gold medals.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
What do you bear in mind about Diana in her time at Don Lugo?
Webster: From the very starting, I used to be excited to have her. We began sluggish, however I feel it was by the second sport that she broke free. Her highschool profession noticed some fairly superb scoring occasions. We had been capable of construct the crew round her. On the time, Don Antonio Lugo Excessive College was not a basketball powerhouse or recognized for ladies’ basketball, however she helped put the college on the map for basketball. It was thrilling.
Did Diana stand out to you immediately? What stood out to you about her?
Webster: Oh yeah, (chuckles) very a lot so. I wasn’t round women’ basketball a lot at the moment, so earlier than assembly her, I had no thought who Diana Taurasi was or the best way to pronounce her final title.
However she was only a pure. She had all the talents coming in. Her one weak point, in case you might name it that, was that she wasn’t the quickest individual, however she definitely understood the best way to play the sport and is a significantly better defensive participant than folks suppose. She is only a full participant.
How did Diana affect the basketball program whereas at Don Lugo?
Webster: She was this system. She made her teammates higher and was dedicated to them. She has been that manner ever since. Her house is true throughout the road from Don Lugo Excessive College and she or he stayed there all 4 years. She then went to the most effective colleges for ladies’s basketball on the College of Connecticut. She spent 4 years there and spent her whole profession at Phoenix. To me, that’s massive. That’s committing to a program, a crew and staying with it.
How has Diana’s legacy lived on at Don Lugo?
Webster: We had been so proud to have had her at Don Lugo, particularly for the children and all the women within the Chino space. She’s a star in women’ basketball right here. Everybody that follows sports activities in Chino is aware of Diana Taurasi. There was once jerseys of hers hung up on the wall outdoors the principal’s workplace, I hope they’re nonetheless there. I’ve been retired since 2004 so it’s been a very long time, however there was once a number of photos of her in all places.
Do you continue to observe her profession?
Webster: I watch her as a lot as I can. I don’t discuss to her a lot these days. She has a household now, I’m unsure how usually she comes up this fashion, however I do know her dad and mom are right here. The final time I talked to her, she had 5 gold medals, in order that was a pair years in the past.
Was she ever injured in highschool?
Webster: Diana by no means missed a sport in highschool. I’m certain she was injured however nothing to overlook a observe or sport. She was all the time the primary one to observe and final one out. If I recall, you by no means needed to wait round for her, she would have already got the ball as quickly because the courtroom was prepared.
What do you suppose has saved her within the sport so lengthy?
Webster: I feel she has been capable of keep wholesome, consuming proper and exercising. It seems to be like she has accomplished plenty of bodily coaching. She’s in higher form now than she was in highschool (laughs). She seems to be stronger and perhaps a bit faster. She seems to be very match to me.
Are there similarities between Diana’s play now and again then?
Webster: To me, she has the identical shot. She’s very aggressive. She makes the gamers higher and understands the sport. You’ll be able to see how aggressive she will get and that’s good. You need that in your aspect. She eats, sleeps and breathes basketball.
She’s additionally all the time been a pacesetter in a huddle or speaking with a coach or crew member. She’s a quarterback on the courtroom, what extra might you need? I see it extra now than ever.
Diana Taurasi, middle, introduced her retirement after successful WNBA championships and Olympic gold medals.
(Paul Connors / Related Press)
What has been Diana’s affect on the game?
Webster: Anybody that watches or follows basketball is aware of Diana Taurasi. In professional sports activities, you undergo excessive instances and low instances and hope everybody stays wholesome. If everybody stays wholesome and so they get the best gamers, an expert crew can construct on that.
She is among the best gamers that’s ever performed. I can’t say she is the best ever, however I don’t know who’s higher. She’s actually good. She’s received nice imaginative and prescient, nice instincts, I feel she’s the most effective, however I’m somewhat prejudiced.
Do you know when Diana was in highschool that she would have the profession that she did?
Webster: I knew she was going to have an excellent profession, I didn’t understand it was going to go to this world. I do know shifting to Connecticut was an enormous determination on the time, so I’m glad it labored out for her. I feel she was seeking to play for a program that was going to push her and the place she would play with a number of the finest gamers within the nation.
We put plenty of strain on her, however when she’s received all these nice gamers round her, she doesn’t all the time must be the star, she will make the opposite gamers simply pretty much as good. That’s her legacy, of being a crew participant. Basketball is a crew sport and also you need her in your aspect.
