How Mercury's Taurasi Put The League On Notice

Diana Taurasi became a star right away, and as years went by, she continued to shine. Taurasi was drafted by the Mercury in 2004, and she won Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals. The Mercury guard also made the All-WNBA First Team, and she was in great company. She was on the team with Sue Bird, Tina Thompson, Lauren Jackson and Lisa Leslie. Those stars made the team in previous seasons, so Taurasi was the only first-timer. Taurasi was accomplishing great things early on, and on top of these accolades, she was involved in a special race. Phoenix's star was a part of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race, and she finished third. Leslie was that year's winner, and she had a great year. She averaged 17.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals. That was Leslie's second MVP, and she would win one more two years later. Jackson was second in the race, and she earned 351 points. Leslie finished the race with 425. Jackson had a strong season, as