Diana Taurasi Headlines 2027 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class

UConn Basketball Legend Diana Taurasi Named to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2027.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2027 on Thursday.

Diana Taurasi headlines the group.

The former University of Connecticut star will be inducted on June 26, 2027, at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville.

Taurasi played for UConn from 2000 to 2004.

She led the Huskies to three consecutive NCAA national championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

UConn also won six BIG EAST championships during her four seasons.

She finished her college career with 2,156 points.

That ranks 10th in program history.

She also recorded 648 assists, third all-time at UConn.

Her 318 3-pointers rank third in program history as well.

Taurasi earned three Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America first-team selections.

She also received two first-team honors from both The Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Her individual awards include the Naismith Trophy in 2003 and 2004.

She won the 2003 Wade Trophy.

She was named the 2003 Associated Press and USBWA national player of the year.

Taurasi received the Honda Sports Award and Nancy Lieberman Award in both 2003 and 2004.

She was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2003 and 2004.

She earned BIG EAST Player of the Year honors twice.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma summed up her impact in 2003.

“We got Diana, and you don’t,” Auriemma said.

The Phoenix Mercury selected Taurasi first overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft.

She spent her entire 20-year professional career with the franchise.

She led Phoenix to WNBA championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014.

She earned Finals Most Valuable Player honors in 2009 and 2014.

She was named WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2009.

She was selected to 11 All-Star teams.

She earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2004.

She was a 10-time All-WNBA first-team selection and four-time second-team selection.

Taurasi retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points.

That is more than 2,000 points ahead of the next closest player.

Auriemma called her the greatest ever.

“In my mind, the greatest basketball player ever to play college basketball,” Auriemma told reporters at the Final Four in Phoenix in 2026.

“And maybe the greatest WNBA player of all time.”

Taurasi joins an elite group of UConn greats already in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Hall, which opened in 1999, has inducted Auriemma (2006), Rebecca Lobo (2010), Jennifer Rizzotti (2013), Kara Wolters (2017), Chris Dailey (2018), Swin Cash (2021), Maya Moore (2024) and Sue Bird (2025).

Taurasi played with Bird and Cash at UConn.

Both are already in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Taurasi becomes eligible for the Naismith Hall this year.

She is considered a lock to be inducted there as well.

One of the most remarkable aspects of her career was her longevity.

She played at an All-Star level into her 40s.

Taurasi explained her approach in 2024.

“It’s really simple,” Taurasi said before a game with the Connecticut Sun.

“You show up every single day and you work harder than the next person.

It’s really just as simple as that.

There are no magic tricks.

There’s nothing special going on on the court.

Just get in the gym every single day before everyone and stay after everybody.

It’s the only way I can do it.

I’ve said before, if I don’t do that I’m not even gonna get out there.”

Taurasi came from the Los Angeles area.

She decided she wanted to play for UConn when the Huskies played a game near her home.

Once she arrived in Storrs, her confidence and all-around skills made an immediate impression.

“You could put her anywhere on the floor and she would be the best player in the country at that position,” Auriemma once said.

In 2002, the Huskies went 39-0.

That team is considered the greatest of all the program’s championship teams.

Taurasi played with seven future WNBA players on that squad.

The induction ceremony is set for June 26, 2027, in Knoxville.

The Class of 2027 also includes Sandy Brondello and other honorees.

Brondello, a longtime WNBA coach and former player, is also being inducted.

Taurasi will be honored alongside her fellow inductees at the Tennessee Theatre.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Knoxville, Tennessee.

It honors players, coaches, contributors and officials who have made significant contributions to the sport.

The Hall of Fame announced the class on Nov. 5, 2026.

Taurasi’s selection was widely expected given her resume.

She is one of the most decorated players in basketball history.