TBT: Diana Taurasi

[uconnfan68]

View attachment 41947

My favorite too.

 

[ctfjr]

What year did she feel like "punching something orange"?

2002

... anyone have that image? I wasn't able to to find it on line

 

[DaddyChoc]

2002

... anyone have that image? I wasn't able to to find it on line

may have been a live event... someone may have to watch the game and screenshot it if possible

 

[Biff]

Hey Biff; Post "You're the Best!" one more time, hey? I am a sour and sober old dude, but I choke up every time I see it.

And if Phil's UConn page is still extent, would someone please post the link? Pretty please!

@Zorro Hey you old grey avenging animal of the woods. I have not been ignoring your request but I did struggle with it for technical reasons. The only copy I could find of "Simply The Best" was on a self running CD. It uses software that I do not possess anymore. However, I was able to retrieve all the photos and graphics that went into the show. From that I have recreated the piece as best I could as a video. It's probably 98% accurate recreation of the original with mostly the transitions being different.

As an introduction then, this was a piece I originally created in the weeks after the 2004 championship. Diana had just moved on from UConn after her third championship, had been drafted by Phoenix, and was working out with the Team USA preparing for the Olympics in Greece. Many of us knew we would likely never see another player like her. She was unique and at that time there was consensus that she was the best to ever wear a Husky Uniform at UConn.

I was not yet doing video in 2004 so I pulled together 80-90 photos of her I had and created a slideshow to the Tina Turner's Simply The Best". The song and the player couldn't have been a better match.

For those that did not watch her play through those years, maybe this is not very interesting but for some of us that so thoroughly enjoyed her years at UConn, it hit the mark.

 

[j66kicker]

2002

... anyone have that image? I wasn't able to to find it on line

I can't find it either. I was there - it was at TBA her sophomore year - and I remember it like yesterday, even though I didn't hear about what she said ("I just wanted to punch something orange.") until the next day. Think I've seen it in the game replay or highlight clip too, but can't find anything.

I'm lucky. I happen to live in Phoenix, so I get to see her play whenever I want in the summertime. Definitely one of a kind.

 

[bantamlaker]

As a longtime UConn and DT fan I thoroughly enjoyed “ Simply the Best.” Thanks so much for posting this Biff. I’ll probably watch it 10 more times today. How lucky we are to be UConn fans !

 

[Zorro]

Thanks Biffster! This time I will save it, if I can figure out how. Damn, that seems like such a long time ago, no? Through most of that era, Mrs. Z was the liason between the language dept and the athletic dept, so we were able to get seats in the parents area for most of the games. My favorite D comment (and forgive me for being redundant; I know I have posted this before) was from, as I recall, Swin's mom.. We were sitting in front of her and Sue's mom, and she said; "You know, Sue is always thinking two plays ahead, but Diana never thinks at all. She doesn't have to." Those were the days, my friend!!

 

[wbball novice]

So you're saying this Diana Taurasi was the Chennedy Carter of her day?

 

[Argonaut]

What year did she feel like "punching something orange"?

The possession that ends in the assault of the pad begins at 1:04:36.

 

[DaddyChoc]

The possession that ends in the assault of the pad begins at 1:04:36.

thanks, that was a hard punch too... BTW Lawson couldnt get over the hump as long as DT was playing for UConn, nor Nicole Powell

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Thank you for posting. Sadly, I did not watch our ladies play until Maya was a junior. My bad.

I began following UConn in 1997. I saw D play. She was absolutely amazing!!!

Will never forget it!