Diana Taurasi Net Worth

What is Diana Taurasi's Net Worth and Salary?

Diana Taurasi is a professional basketball player with a net worth of $7 million. Diana Taurasi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in women's basketball history. Drafted first overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2004, she spent her entire WNBA career with the franchise, leading them to three championships (2007, 2009, 2014) before announcing her retirement in February 2025 after two decades. In her rookie season, The Phoenix Mercury won the WNBA title, making Taurasi the seventh player ever to win the WNBA title, the NCAA title, and the Olympic Gold Medal (representing the U.S. in the Women's National Basketball League). She has won several awards during her career, including NCAA Tournament MVP, WNBA Rookie of the Year, WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA scoring champion, and more. In August 2023, Taurasi became the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 career points.

Known as the "White Mamba," Taurasi's career achievements are staggering: multiple WNBA MVP awards, 10-time All-Star selections, and she became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer in 2017. Her scoring prowess combines elite three-point shooting with aggressive drives to the basket.

Internationally, Taurasi has been equally dominant, winning five consecutive Olympic gold medals with Team USA (2004-2021) and multiple World Championship golds.

Beyond her statistical dominance, Taurasi's fierce competitiveness, clutch performances, and leadership have defined her career. She's known for elevating her game in critical moments, earning her reputation as one of basketball's most feared closers.

Taurasi has also played professionally overseas during WNBA offseasons, particularly in Russian leagues where she commanded some of the highest salaries in women's basketball. From 2006 to 2010, Taurasi played for the European team Spartak Moscow, which won four Euroleague championships in a row.

Career Earnings, Salary & Contracts

At her peak, Diana Taurasi earned the WNBA's top salary, which was $235,000. When she played overseas for teams in Russia, she easily earned north of $1 million for a single season.

WNBA Contracts & Salary Progression

Diana Taurasi played her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury (2004-2025), earning progressively higher salaries as the league's pay scale increased.

• 2004 (Rookie Season): Earned around $40,800 after being drafted #1 overall.
• 2007: Signed an extension, raising her salary to about $90,000 per year.
• 2014: Near the league max salary at $107,000.
• 2020–2021: The new WNBA CBA increased top salaries, and Taurasi earned $221,450 in 2021.
• 2023–2024: Her final contract was a two-year deal averaging $234,936 per season, the highest annual WNBA salary of her career.

Despite being a WNBA legend, her total career WNBA earnings are estimated to be around $1.5–2 million, highlighting how league salary caps kept her pay lower than her true market value.

Overseas Contracts & Earnings

Taurasi earned significantly more playing overseas in the WNBA off-seasons, particularly in Russia and Turkey.

Played for Spartak Moscow, UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), and Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray (Turkey).

Russian clubs paid her over $1 million per season, far exceeding her WNBA salary.

In 2015, she sat out the WNBA season entirely because UMMC Ekaterinburg paid her $1.5 million just to rest.

She played multiple seasons abroad at salaries 10–15 times higher than WNBA pay.

From overseas contracts alone, Taurasi is estimated to have earned at least $7–8 million, making international play a key financial driver in her career.

Endorsement Deals & Sponsorships

Beyond her playing contracts, Taurasi has earned substantial endorsement income from major brands:

• Nike: Long-time endorsement deal with the sportswear giant.
• BodyArmor: A reported $1.35 million endorsement deal.
• State Farm, Coca-Cola, JBL, Cox Communications, and Waymo: Various sponsorships.

These deals likely contributed several hundred thousand dollars per year to her earnings, adding significantly to her career total.

Total Career Earnings

Adding up WNBA contracts, international play, and endorsements, Diana Taurasi's total career earnings have surpassed $10 million. Despite the WNBA's relatively low salaries, her overseas stints and endorsements have made her one of the highest-earning women's basketball players of all time.

Early Life

Taurasi was born on June 11, 1982, in Glendale, California, and grew up in Chino, California, with her older sister, Jessika. Her father, Mario, was originally from Argentina and later played professional soccer in Italy. Her mother, Liliana, was also from Argentina and emigrated to the United States with Mario before Taurasi was born.

Taurasi attended Don Antonio Lugo High School, where she played basketball. As a high school player, her skills were widely recognized. She was the recipient of the Cheryl Miller Award in 2000 and was also named the "Parade Magazine" National High School Player of the Year in 2000. She was named the MVP in the WBCA High School All-America Game and ranked fourth in California state history in terms of overall scoring.

After high school, Taurasi enrolled at the University of Connecticut and led the team to three consecutive NCAA championships. While there, Taurasi received many awards and accolades. She was the recipient of the 2003 and 2004 Honda Sports Awards and was named the 2003 Associated Press Player of the Year. She was also highly regarded by the state of Connecticut, and her skills were recognized by state senator Thomas Gaffey.

Career

After completing her college career, Taurasi was selected first overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. The previous year, the team had a losing record of 8-26. In her debut game, Taurasi scored 22 points and then went on to average 17 points for the season. Though the Mercury did not qualify for the playoffs that season, Taurasi was named to the Western Conference All-Star team and won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.

The following season, she averaged 16 points per game while also battling an ankle injury. She was named an All-Star, but the Mercury again failed to make the play-offs. Prior to the next season, NBA coach Paul Westhead became the Mercury's new coach. The team also added another star rookie to the roster – Cappie Pondexter. In addition to Taurasi and other star player Penny Taylor, the Mercury were projected to do well in the upcoming season.

Indeed, the 2006 season was a historic one for Taurasi, who flourished under Westhead's coaching. She led the league in scoring and broke a league record for points in a single season. She averaged over 25 points per game and also secured her career-high game at 47 points in a triple-overtime game against the Houston Comets. She also set a WNBA record by making 121 three-pointers in a single season. However, the Mercury still missed the playoffs.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The following season, in 2007, the Mercury finally made it to the WNBA playoffs and even advanced to the Finals, meeting the defending champions, the Detroit Shock. Taurasi, along with Taylor and Pondexter, led the team to victory. The Mercury returned to the finals in 2009, where they again won, and Taurasi was named the WNBA Finals MVP. She became one of only two players to win a season-scoring title, the season MVP award, a WNBA Championship, and the finals MVP in the same season.

Taurasi has remained with the Mercury for her entire WNBA career, though she has occasionally suffered injuries that reduced her playing ability. In 2012, she suffered a number of injuries that left her only able to play eight games. She then had to sit out the rest of the season due to a strained hip flexor. That season, the Mercury were the second-worst team in the league with a 7-27 record. However, she returned to the court in 2013 and led the team to the playoffs. In May of 2017, she signed a multi-year contract extension with the Mercury. The same month, she became the first player in league history to reach 7,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 1,500 assists. She then became the league's all-time leading scorer in June of that year.

Outside of her career with the WNBA, Taurasi also competed on behalf of the United States on the Women's Olympics Basketball Teams in the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics. In all four games, she helped the team win the gold medal.

Taurasi has also had a successful career overseas, typically playing Russian and Turkish teams. Given the alternate schedule of the European leagues, she was usually able to manage playing both in the U.S. and in Europe. However, in 2015, the UMMC Ekaterinburg team from Russia paid Taurasi to sit out her WNBA season in order to rest in hopes that she would help them secure a championship in Europe. Taurasi ultimately retired from European competition in 2017.

Personal Life

After eight years of dating, Taurasi married Penny Taylor. The two had formerly been teammates before Taylor became the Phoenix Mercury Director of Player Development and Performance. They married on May 13, 2017, and discussed their happiness in a later interview with "People" magazine. In March of 2018, Taylor gave birth to the couple's son, Leo Michael Taurasi-Taylor.

In October of 2021, Taylor was due to give birth to the couple's second child, a daughter. However, the baby was late, and Taurasi was forced to leave to play a winner-takes-all Game 5 that would determine whether her team would advance to the 2021 WNBA finals. After winning the game, Taurasi rushed back to Taylor and arrived in time to witness the birth of the couple's first daughter.

Real Estate

In 2014, Diania paid $3.3 million for a home in Manhattan Beach, California. Today, this home is worth around $5 million. She has primarily offered this property as a rental over the years for $15,000 per month since she spends most of her time in Arizona or traveling. In July 2018, Diana and Penny paid $1.65 million for a home in Phoenix. Today, this home is worth $3-4 million.

Who's Richer?

Diana
Taurasi

Compare!

Candace
Parker