Diana Taurasi college stats - Exploring WNBA legend's UConn career as she retires

Diana Taurasi hung up her sneakers on Tuesday after a legendary basketball career that had her excelling in the NCAA, the Olympics, the European leagues and the WNBA.

The 6-foot guard made her retirement official in an interview with TIME Magazine, ending a career spanning over 20 years that gave her six Olympic gold medals, three WNBA titles, one WNBA MVP trophy, two Naismith National Player of the Year accolades and three national championships with UConn.

But before speaking her entire WNBA career at Phoenix, she enjoyed a spectacular college basketball career at UConn where she excelled under the tutelage of legendary coach Geno Auriemma.

The Glendale, California-born Taurasi enrolled in UConn in 2000 after a highly decorated high school career in Don Antonio Lugo in Chino. She spent four seasons with the Huskies where she helped the team win the championship from 2002 to 2004.

She had her best season in 2003, averaging a career-high 17.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. That performance was enough to win her first Naismith National Player of the Year which she would repeat the following year.

During her four-year career with the Huskies, Taurasi amassed 2,156 points, 648 assists, 628 rebounds, 174 steals and 147 blocks. She shot 46.9% from the field, including 39.2% from the 3-point area (per UConn Huskies website).

Overall, Taurasi led UConn to a 139-8 overall record, including a 22-1 mark in the NCAA Tournament. Aside from winning the Naismith National Player of the Year twice, she was also the two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, two-time Big East Player of the Year, three-time All-American, three-time All-Big East First Team selection and 2003 USBWA National Player of the Year.

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Diana Taurasi knew it was time to retire on New Year's Day

Former UConn star and Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi said it was time to say goodbye from playing competitive basketball on New Year's Day. In an interview with Time's Sean Gregory, she felt that she was full and happy at the same time.

"Mentally and physically, I’m just full," she said. "That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy."

“I just didn’t have it in me. That was pretty much when I knew it was time to walk away,” she added.

At a time when some basketball players get easily lured to play outside their mother teams by more lucrative deals, Taurasi stayed loyal to the Mercury. Like the late Los Angeles great Kobe Bryant's two decade-long career with the Lakers, Taurasi also spent 21 seasons with Phoenix.

The 11-time WNBA All-Star leaves the league as the all-time leading scorer with 10,066 points and a legendary career that had her playing in Russia and Turkey, where she is also a six-time Euroleague and seven-time Russian National League champion.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma hailed her former player in a statement, describing Taurasi as the greatest player he's ever coached and the greatest winner in the history of basketball.