Diana Taurasi Leads the 2027 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class

Diana Taurasi headlines the 2027 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class.

The Hall of Fame, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, announced the six-member class on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026.

Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.

She spent her entire 20-year WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury.

She won three WNBA championships with the Mercury.

She was an All-WNBA selection 14 times.

She led the league in scoring five times.

She is the WNBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made and free throws made.

She is also widely considered the league’s greatest trash talker.

Before the WNBA, Taurasi played at UConn from 2000 to 2004.

She led the Huskies to three national championships.

She was twice named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four.

She was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2003.

She averaged 15.0 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in her college career.

She shot 39.2 percent from 3-point range at UConn.

She was the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Mercury.

Taurasi owns six Olympic gold medals — more than any other basketball player in history.

She won gold for Team USA in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024.

She also has three FIBA World Cup gold medals.

While playing overseas in Russia and Turkey, she won six EuroLeague championships.

Taurasi retired in 2025.

At retirement, she was the WNBA’s all-time scoring leader with 10,646 points — more than 2,000 ahead of second place.

She averaged 18.8 points per game for her WNBA career.

She shot 36 percent from 3-point range and 87 percent from the foul line in the league.

She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2009.

She won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2004.

She was a two-time WNBA Finals MVP.

She was an 11-time WNBA All-Star.

Earlier in 2026, the Mercury retired her No. 3 jersey.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma praised Taurasi at the Final Four in 2025.

“In my mind, the greatest basketball player ever to play college basketball,” Auriemma told reporters.

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

Auriemma also said in 2003: “We got Diana, and you don’t.”

Taurasi will become the ninth person with UConn ties inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

The previous UConn inductees are: Geno 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 is now a lock for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well, having become eligible this year.