Diana Taurasi, seeking 6th gold, sets high Olympic standard - ESPN

PHOENIX — Diana Taurasi joked after the Tokyo Olympics that she would see everyone in Paris. The 42-year-old guard turned the joke into reality: She will be playing in a record sixth Olympic Games when the U.S. women's basketball team goes for its eighth consecutive gold medal later this month.

«Why not? I say this all the time: If I sign up to play, I sign up to play,» Taurasi said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. «I don't love how my last Olympics went personally. I think as a team we still have a lot to prove. I love playing USA Basketball. You play with the best in the world. Basketball is a team sport, and if you have the opportunity to play with the best in the world, I'll always sign up.»

Taurasi has been a mainstay on the Olympic women's team since graduating from UConn in 2004 after leading the Huskies to three consecutive NCAA championships. The WNBA's all-time scoring leader with over 10,000 points, Taurasi is still playing at a high level. The Phoenix Mercury All-Star is averaging 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in her 20th season in the WNBA.

«No one has done it more than her. There's no substitute for that level of experience,» U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve said. «We're going to count on her voice, and that experience she has is incredible and valuable.»

Taurasi is the fourth all-time leading scorer in Olympic history with 414 points. She is 74 points behind former teammate Lisa Leslie for the top spot on the American list. Taurasi already is the all-time leader in games played with 38.

Her teammates respect her knowledge and insight, as there is little she hasn't gone through during her time playing on the international stage.

«She's seen it all,» U.S. teammate Breanna Stewart said.