Tag: Diana Taurasi

Hannah Hidalgo is USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year

Congrats, Hannah!

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] only has played college basketball for a month, but the Notre Dame freshman phenom already is making an impact. She’s the nation’s leader in steals (6.0 a game) and one of its top scorers (23.6 points a game). But that doesn’t begin to describe what she’s done overall this year.

Hidalgo has won the prestigious USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award for how well she did in international play this season. During the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, she averaged 10.7 points and 5.4 assists a game to help the U.S. win the gold medal. Joni Taylor, her coach from that tournament, said it best:

“Hannah Hidalgo is a name you will not forget.”

In winning this award, Hidalgo is joining elite company in more ways than one. She is only the fourth player to win it before beginning her collegiate career, joining Paige Bueckers, Brianna Stewart and Janelle Bailey.

Many women’s basketball legends, some of which remain active and others are enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, have won this award since it was first given out in 1980. These include Diana Taurasi, Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, Cheryl Miller, Katrina McClain, A’ja Wilson, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Katie Smith, Natalie Williams, Ruthie Bolton, Chamique Holdsclaw, Seimone Augustus and Lynette Woodard.

If that list is any indication, Hidalgo is on her way to becoming not only an Irish legend but a legend of the sport. It probably wouldn’t surprise her either because she indicated such when Fighting Irish Wire asked her about it after the Irish’s win over Lafayette:

“No, I’m not surprised at all. I think I know what God has blessed me with, and so, it’s a lot easier when I have teammates like the ones that I do. That makes the game just so much easier.”

Here’s to the latest of what should be many more honors for someone who’s just getting started.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd just obliterated the WNBA single-season scoring record

The WNBA is full of ballers who do nothing but break records.

In the WNBA’s 27th season, the history books are not only being rewritten, they’re being obliterated.

The league is growing at a tremendous pace, gathering the attention of fans along the way. For example, the WNBA draft audience increased by 42 percent between 2022 and 2023, and midseason viewership on platforms like ESPN was up 46percent, averaging 548,000 viewers per game.

More eyes on the sport mean more people see history made in real-time. In a season that saw future hall of famer Diana Taurasi hit 10,000 career points, paving the way for future generations, it’s only fitting that another record of hers fell.

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd all have resumes as long as a basketball court, but they are pursuing greatness just like Taurasi, and greatness stops for no one.

All three broke the WNBA single-season scoring record (860 points) in a photo finish to see who could walk away with the crown. Ultimately, Seattle’s “Gold Mamba” fought through injuries to make it happen. It’s honestly an incredible feat and should be celebrated.

She is, as the kids say, an absolute “dawg.”

WNBA fans celebrated Diana Taurasi after she reached historic 10K career points

Diana Taurasi made WNBA history on Thursday night.

Phoenix Mercury superstar Diana Taurasi achieved a goal on Thursday night that no other WNBA player ever has.

Taurasi notched her 10,000th point during the Mercury’s 91-71 victory over the Atlanta Dream, making her the first WNBA player to ever cross that point threshold.

She’s perhaps the best-ever to take the court in the WNBA, and it was a fitting accomplishment for such a vital athlete to the sport.

When Taurasi hit the historic shot, she had the perfect reaction to celebrate crossing 10,000 points for her career. Her Mercury teammates immediately joined her to ring in the major moment.

It’s a fantastic moment for the WNBA legend, one who will forever be remembered for what she’s done in the sport.

As you could imagine, WNBA fans gave Taurasi her well-earned props for notching this historic milestone with the Mercury.

Check out all the good vibes going Taurasi’s way as she puts her name in the WNBA history books.

WNBA Twitter reacts to Diana Taurasi hitting 10,000-point milestone

Taurasi is the first player in WNBA history to reach 10,000 career points.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi hit a milestone that no other player in the WNBA has ever reached. Taurasi is the first player in WNBA history to reach 10,000 career points. She only needed 18 points to hit the milestone and instead, she dropped 42 points in the Mercury’s 91-71 win over the Atlanta Dream.

With those 42 points, it is the most she’s scored during regulation in a game and her fourth 40-point game in her career. She is also the oldest player with a 40-point game in WNBA history, passing Cynthia Cooper (36 years, 124 days) in 1999, as per ESPN Stats and Info. The only player in NBA history with a 40-point game at age 40 or older is Michael Jordan, who did it in 2003 with the Washington Wizards.

“I’m really thankful to the game of basketball,” Taurasi said. “It’s what I love. It’s my passion and it makes me feel good every single day. I can’t wait for all of the good things to come – not only for this team but for the WNBA in the future.”

See what Twitter had to say about the achievement.

WNBA draft: USC’s Kadi Sissoko goes to Phoenix Mercury at No. 29

Sissoko’s length and rebounding prowess helped her land a #WNBADraft selection with the Mercury.

The success and overall progress of the USC women’s basketball program were on display Monday night at the 2023 WNBA draft. Two players who helped the Trojans reach the Women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014 were drafted.

One of those two players was forward Kadi Sissoko, whose size, length, rebounding ability, and defensive acumen make her a well-rounded two-way player. That was hard for the Phoenix Mercury to pass up with the No. 29 pick. They loved what Sissoko brings to the table, giving her a chance to join a roster which has Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi.

It seems clear what Sissoko’s main task will be in Phoenix, at least in her first season: Do the dirty work. Griner will be a central defensive deterrent at the rim. Taurasi will shoot and score. Sissoko will need to provide rebounding when Griner tries to block shots, and set screens to free up Taurasi and other teammates for good looks at the basket.

Sissoko was one of USC’s main scorers this past season, but she contributed in many non-scoring ways (defense, rebounding, shot deterrence). The fact that basketball players can be hugely influential without scoring points underlies Sissoko’s value to the Mercury as a professional.

[mm-video type=video id=01gxrmt5h0xqh37r711q playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxrmt5h0xqh37r711q/01gxrmt5h0xqh37r711q-d1d13816fea71187be693b4409e42cf4.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=696090378]

Lil Wayne teases track collaboration with LSU basketball’s Flau’jae Johnson

Lil Wayne and LSU basketball standout Flau’jae Johnson might collaborate on a track soon??

While talking with women’s basketball greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, rap legend Lil Wayne hinted that he’s going to be collaborating with an LSU star soon.

On ESPN’s The Bird & Taurasi Show, women’s basketball fan Lil Wayne shared that, thanks to LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, that he will be collaborating on a track with Tigers freshman guard Flau’jae Johnson.

Johnson just goes by “Flau’jae” for her aspiring rap career, one that Lil Wayne seems very interested in helping out in the studio.

“We’re about to connect musically soon,” Lil Wayne told the two on the alternate broadcast of Friday night’s LSU-Virginia Tech 2023 women’s NCAA tournament Final Four game. “Be looking out for that.”

Johnson actually signed a music deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation label, so more collaborations could be on the horizon for the basketball player/musician.

She has also performed for her home crowd at LSU in the past.

The LSU women’s basketball team also practiced to one of Johnson’s freestyles ahead of Friday night’s Final Four win over Virginia Tech.

Johnson’s future certainly looks bright on the court and in the booth, and it seems like she’ll have plenty of opportunities to pursue both in the days ahead.

NBA 2K23: Ratings revealed for 5 highest-ranked rookie players

The ratings of five rookie players have been unveiled ahead of the launch of NBA 2K23 on Friday.

2K Sports on Tuesday offered a glimpse of the first batch of ratings for NBA 2K23 with the incoming class of rookies among those revealed prior to the official launch on Friday.

The latest iteration of the popular video game will feature Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker on the cover of most editions. Hall of Famer Michael Jordan will grace the cover of two special versions while legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi will be on the “WNBA” edition.

J. Cole will serve as the cover star on the “DREAMER” edition.

The ratings of several players have been released recently, while some categories, such as the top shooters and dunkers, were also unveiled. The ratings for each rookie will be known on Friday when the game is live on all platforms.

Rookie Wire took a look at the five highest-rated first-year players.

Diana Taurasi just did something only Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki have done with her latest 30-point explosion

Diana Taurasi is one of the best players to ever touch a basketball court — period.

Diana Taurasi isn’t having her best season ever, obviously. She’s coming to the end of an absolutely fantastic career.

But she’s still one of the greatest basketball players to touch a basketball court ever. She proves that time and again, year after year. She did it again on Thursday night when she made a bit of WNBA — and, really, professional basketball — history.

Taurasi dropped 30 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists against the LA Sparks on Thursday. That was her first 30-point game since she’d turned 40 years old on June 11 last month.

And with that, she became the first WNBA player to ever score 30 points in a single game over the age of 40. Not only that, but she’s also just the third player between the NBA and WNBA to accomplish that feat, too. Only Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Jordan have done it before, per ESPN Stats and Info.

She was cooking. Taurasi hit 5 3-pointers on her way to making a bit of history.

Shoutout to DT, man. She’s really one of the greatest.

12 fantastic photos of Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi through the years

We’ll miss watching these two compete against one another.

Two of the WNBA’s greatest are getting ready to face off for one final time. When the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury hit the hardwood on Friday night in Phoenix, it will be the end of a legendary Sue Bird-Diana Taurasi rivalry, one that has Bird up 31 games to 28 over 59 head-to-head matchups.

Friends, college teammates, WNBA opponents, Olympic gold medalists, broadcast partners — you name it, Sue and Diana have had quite the basketball journey during this 21st century.

Here is a series of photos of the two together that’ll make you reminisce, bring you joy, and appreciate them even more as they compete against each other for the last time.

[mm-video type=video id=01g8kp96zpd3mn72qkwq playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g8kp96zpd3mn72qkwq/01g8kp96zpd3mn72qkwq-d30f42fc81ca17f5886367441c0da82d.jpg]

[listicle id=1940171]

Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi face off for the final time on Friday. Here’s how to bet on it.

Who is going to outshine the other in their final matchup?

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.

The two have a ton of matchups against one another under their belts. I mean, A TON.

Bird holds a 25-20 advantage in regular-season victories, while Taurasi has two more playoff wins (8) than Bird in their head-to-heads.

Diana has the latest laugh, which then led to this post-game embrace.

Although, Bird’s series wins over Diana are probably the more meaningful, as they led to championships.

The Mercury are 5.5-point underdogs on this Friday night despite being at home. And they’ll need this win (and many more down the stretch of the season) if they want to sneak into the 2022 playoffs, which they currently sit on the outside of.

Meanwhile, the Storm are cruising along in Bird’s final go-around. They have +380 odds to win this season’s WNBA championship.

[mm-video type=video id=01g8kfn9mebwq8z8c128 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g8kfn9mebwq8z8c128/01g8kfn9mebwq8z8c128-49d7cf537ba33f96d83b2908e7647fa6.jpg]

[listicle id=1940121]