Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi (CREDITS: USA Today)
Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi are inseparable. They have been teammates for 11 years on three different rosters, including the US Women’s Basketball Team. They’ll represent the nation together at the Olympics for the third time running, but, this is expected to be Taurasi’s swansong with the national team, making this a special event for the duo.
Ahead of Team USA’s tournament opener against Japan, Griner opened up about the significance of sharing the court with her long-term Phoenix Mercury teammate. She credited Taurasi for guiding her on and off the court. The center admitted that playing alongside the veteran guard for the third, and likely final time, at the Olympics will be an emotional ordeal. Griner said,
“I think I will be more emotional for that honestly. Basically my whole career has been with D. Overseas, USA, Phoenix, she’s taught me everything. I mean I credit a lot of my everything to her. Helping me out in life, basketball, overseas, and international play. Just being able to share this court with her for another Olympics is very special to me.”
The duo are great friends and their playstyles also complement each other perfectly. Taurasi, a stellar ball-handler and shooter, operates in the perimeter and beyond the arc, while Griner lives in the paint.
Their telepathic connection on the court helped the Mercury win the WNBA championship in just their second year together in 2014. Two years later, they led Team USA to a gold medal win at the Rio Olympics.
They helped the nation defend their crown as Olympic champions five years later in Tokyo and won their second gold medal as a duo. While they’ve experienced a lot of highs together, they have seen some damning lows.
Since 2022, the Mercury have gone from contenders to a middling team. Their downward trajectory commenced with Griner’s arrest and detainment in Russia. The squad fell apart in her absence and finished the season with a 15-22 record.
Her return in the 2023 season didn’t improve their form. They won only nine of 40 games and finished bottom of the WNBA standings. This year, they’ve finally found their footing again. Just 25 games into the campaign, they have already registered four more wins than last season.
However, Griner and Taurasi have temporarily switched their attention from the WNBA to the Olympics. The center is looking to win her third gold medal, while the veteran guard is aiming for her sixth. They’ll leave no stone unturned to ensure their last dance together for the national team goes perfectly.
