UConn's Hall of Fame roster grows as Taurasi earns her spot

Diana Taurasi is the newest member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

The UConn legend headlines the Class of 2027, announced Thursday.

She will be inducted on June 26, 2027, at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville.

Taurasi joins a six-person class that includes Sandy Brondello, Mike Thibault, Dee Kantner, Dr. Judith Holland and Molly Bolin Kazmer.

For UConn, this is another milestone in a program already crowded with Hall of Famers.

Taurasi becomes the ninth person with UConn ties to enter the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

The list includes coach Geno Auriemma (2006), Rebecca Lobo (2010), Jennifer Rizzotti (2013), Kara Wolters (2017), associate head coach Chris Dailey (2018), Swin Cash (2021), Maya Moore (2024) and Sue Bird (2025).

Auriemma once summed up Taurasi's impact in a single sentence back in 2003.

"We got Diana, and you don't," he said.

That was the year Taurasi and the Huskies swept nearly every honor in women's college basketball.

Years later, at the Final Four in Phoenix, Auriemma called her the greatest college basketball player ever.

"In my mind, the greatest basketball player ever to play college basketball," he told reporters.

"And maybe the greatest WNBA player of all time."

Taurasi's UConn career was historic.

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

The 2002 team went 39-0 and is still considered the best in program history.

Taurasi played alongside seven future WNBA players on that squad.

She came to UConn from the Los Angeles area after watching the Huskies play a game near her home.

Once she arrived in Storrs, her confidence and all-around skill set her apart immediately.

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

Taurasi went on to play 20 seasons in the WNBA.

She won three league titles — in 2007, 2009 and 2014 — all with the Phoenix Mercury.

She was an 11-time All-Star.

When she retired in 2025, she was the WNBA's all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points.

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

Her longevity was remarkable.

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

She credited her work ethic, not any secret formula.

"It's really simple," Taurasi said before a game against the Connecticut Sun in 2024.

"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," she said.

"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."

On the international stage, Taurasi is unmatched.

She is the only basketball player — male or female — to win six Olympic gold medals.

She also has three FIBA World Championship gold medals.

Taurasi is now a lock for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well.

She becomes eligible this year, and her resume makes her an obvious candidate.

Teammates Sue Bird and Swin Cash are already in both the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Taurasi will likely join them soon.