Q&A: Diana Taurasi weighs in on who can upset UConn, Azzi Fudd’s draft stock, WNBA CBA + GREENIES collab

It’s no shock that former UConn Husky, Diana Taurasi, is a canine lover, so teaming up with GREENIES to assist pet dad and mom add dental protection to their canine’s day by day playbook was a no brainer for the UConn legend. According to the three-time WNBA and NCAA champion, pets are what individuals love probably the most in life and collaborating with GREENIES on their “Be Your Dog’s Mouthguard” marketing campaign was a good way to get March Madness began.

Taurasi sat down with NBC Sports and shared her ideas on quite a few scorching matters in ladies’s basketball, together with the NCAA Tournament and who the most important threats are to UConn repeating, Azzi Fudd’s potential to go No. 1 in the WNBA Draft, life after basketball, the WNBA’s new transformational CBA and the subsequent era of Team USA.

Diana Taurasi’s interview with NBC Sports was calmly edited for size and readability.

Why did you determine to collaborate with GREENIES and the way does somebody benefit from making the pledge to Be Your Dog’s Mouthguard?

Diana Taurasi: Well, it occurred very organically. When I used to be approached to accomplice with GREENIES, I assumed what do individuals love probably the most in life? Their school crew and their pets. And when [University of] Connecticut and GREENIES teamed as much as take [the] pledge to “Be Your Dog’s Mouthguard” it [was] a type of issues the place like GREENIES has been in my home endlessly. It’s all the time been my pet’s primary deal with. It was only a nice partnership and so they’ve been superb. And you already know to get March Madness began, what higher approach than with GREENIES?

So, if somebody takes the pledge [to Be Your Dog’s Mouthguard] after which, both UConn males or ladies’s wins the nationwide championship, then they’ll get a free bag of Greenies Dental Treats?

Diana Taurasi:That’s right. If you are crew Connecticut, which is all our crew, I imply, you guys are in Connecticut, so that you guys are fellow Huskies. If we win, you get a free bag of GREENIES. So, take your pledge to Be Your Dog’s Mouthguard and get your self some GREENIES.

In mild of that, who is the most important risk to UConn ladies’s basketball to perhaps forestall them from repeating this yr?

Diana Taurasi: Yeah I imply, look Connecticut appears nice. They’ve been taking part in nice all yr. Just the best way Sarah [Strong] and Azzi [Fudd] have actually carried this crew and so they’re simply taking part in at a stage that if you concentrate on it, coming off the championship win final yr with Paige [Bueckers] and what an unbelievable yr that they had, the observe up has been much more spectacular than that.

You know while you speak about those who can simply upset Connecticut, I imply, you speak about South Carolina and what Dawn’s been in a position to do with that crew. And the wonder about South Carolina is that they’ve gotten higher each month. And you already know that is what you need when the season’s so lengthy. You need to come into March taking part in your finest basketball. And I feel that is what they’re doing. I’m actually impressed with UCLA and the way balanced they’re. And I feel the final couple of years when you will have such an imposing determine like Lauren Betts, all the things goes by means of her defensively and offensively. And I feel this yr they discovered a little bit bit higher steadiness which makes them a risk to win the nationwide championship.

Were you stunned that [UConn] dominated in the best way that they did going undefeated this yr?

Diana Taurasi: I need to say I’m, however I’m not. Knowing that it was going to be Azzi’s final yr as a senior, you all the time need to carry your finest foot ahead. And I feel with all of the issues that she’s gone by means of together with her accidents and the best way she performed final yr in the Final Four, she was unbelievable. I assumed there was a way that I had and that folks across the program [had] figuring out that she was going to have the perfect yr of her profession. And then, you will have Sarah who was in all probability the perfect participant in the Final Four final yr. To come again her sophomore yr with one other yr of expertise having coach’s belief, having extra accountability on the court docket, you sort of can see this dominant crew being fashioned. And you already know on the finish of the day you begin to present as much as the video games and it’s important to respect your opponent and it’s important to play at a really very excessive stage. You know, that is what they do each night time and that is what makes them so arduous to beat.

When you concentrate on final yr’s squad and this yr’s squad, who do you suppose has the sting?

Diana Taurasi: Oh, I imply, it is powerful. You know, that crew final yr went by means of rather a lot and generally while you see an undefeated season, you suppose, oh, that crew is likely to be the perfect to ever play. But generally these groups with losses, you already know, they’re hardened a special approach. Obviously, a crew with Paige is gonna all the time be higher than a crew with out Paige. So, you already know, they nonetheless have a job to complete. So, we’ll get again to you.

Do you suppose this yr’s undefeated crew may beat your undefeated crew that received the title in 2002?

Diana Taurasi: I imply, 2002 is the perfect crew to ever play. So, you already know, I do not know. That’s not coming from me. That’s the consultants. The consultants are saying that, not me.

Should Azzi be the No. 1 general choose in the Draft?

Diana Taurasi: Dallas is gonna have a troublesome choice to make and it is a choice you need when you will have the No. 1 choose and you’ve got all this expertise popping out. I feel simply from a chicken’s eye view you’ll say Azzi is the No. 1 choose. And you already know the synergy that she has with Paige on the court docket, they play nice collectively. I feel, you already know, while you get to the WNBA you probably have two guards that can just about do all the things, defend, go, shoot the three, get to the paint, then we’re speaking about constructing championship DNA.

And you already know, it would not be truthful to have this dialog with out Olivia Miles. I feel what she does on the court docket is fairly particular and distinctive [in] so some ways. Whenever somebody can go the ball like she does and rating the basketball like she does, it simply adjustments your franchise routinely. Obviously, these two are the entrance runners, however the best way Azzi has been taking part in and the way dominant she appears on the court docket on each ends proper now, I might say she’s in all probability the [No. 1] choose.

Have you had any conversations together with her round simply what that might imply?

Diana Taurasi: Yeah, I feel it doesn’t matter what, whether or not you are favored to be the No. 1 choose or not, you are all the time nervous. There’s a lot that occurs in that two week stretch from, hopefully profitable a nationwide championship or making the Final Four, to swiftly you are a professional and also you’re on the Draft. So a lot occurs in that stretch. But the wonder about Azzi, she has nice individuals round her. She has nice assist. She has nice buddies that is gone by means of the Draft and he or she’s obtained it discovered.

How has retirement been treating you?

Diana Taurasi: You know, it has been great. Obviously, I’ve gotten to do some unbelievable issues with some unbelievable buddies, however probably the most fascinating and fulfilling factor is simply spending time with my household each single day.

You know, while you’re taking part in, you are simply so enthralled in the sport. You know the final 5 – 6 years of my profession, I used to be simply so obsessive about being on the court docket and ensuring I used to be able to play each single recreation that I overlooked a little bit little bit of what was round me. And it was so good simply to get again to the little issues in life. You know, having espresso in the morning, breakfast with the youngsters, taking them to high school, choosing them up, taking them to swim, basketball, golf, tennis, they’re as busy as anybody.

All the issues that while you’re taking part in, you simply do not even suppose they’re a part of your schedule since you’re so targeted on the subsequent recreation, the subsequent follow, the subsequent particular person. I’ve to be in the load room, I’ve to get better. So, it has been candy. I’ve obtained to take action many nice issues off the court docket.

Are there moments the place perhaps you sort of miss taking part in a little bit bit? Are there instances the place you suppose, you already know, I nonetheless obtained it?

Diana Taurasi: Oh, I miss that paycheck. I do not miss the rest. You know, I feel generally retired gamers which have a tough time with giving the sport up is as a result of they’re so hooked up to the issues that the sport gave them off the court docket. I used to be by no means actually that nervous about any of that stuff. I used to be simply actually all the time nervous about my crew and being on the court docket. And you already know, when that thrill was gone, I actually do not miss something about it. I beloved it a lot. I gave all the things. I gave each ounce I had bodily and mentally. So, when it was time to step away, it sort of was like, yeah, that is what’s subsequent in my life.

Another paycheck goes to be coming very quickly as a result of below the phrases of the brand new CBA, as a retiree, now they have a stipend in there particularly for retired gamers. So, what are your ideas on the brand new CBA?

Diana Taurasi: Well, thanks for the paycheck, CBA. You’re gonna put [Isla Taurasi-Taylor] by means of school. You all the time need to depart the sport higher. And the CBA information from this week, I imply while you discuss concerning the league being right here for 30 years and you already know we discuss concerning the previous rather a lot and you already know it is appreciation for all of the those who paved the best way, proper? We all the time speak about unpaid pioneers and what they did for this league and the issues we have been combating for for therefore lengthy. And to see the league go ahead like that in a approach the place it is gonna change individuals’s lives, you already know our era needed to go to Europe, Russia and abroad. And that is a sacrifice we made. And I would not commerce it for the world. But to see what this subsequent era has accomplished in such a short while simply says rather a lot about the place this league goes and what these gamers are doing. It’s been actually fascinating to look at. And you already know, we’re all pulling in the identical course. And that feels good.

Did you ever envision such a transformational CBA between the gamers and the league coming to fruition?

Diana Taurasi: You know, it was coming. It simply took rather a lot longer than we thought. Like something with change, there’s lots of people who resist it, who do not prefer it. And we fought loads of that. Whether it was by means of individuals not supporting ladies’s sports activities, whether or not it was the media not giving us the respect and you already know, loads of instances, all we needed was for individuals to know that that is our lives, that is our profession. You know, we’re doing this not as a result of we’ve got a pastime. This is the factor we like to do probably the most and we’re keen to sacrifice our our bodies and our lives for it. And to see the CBA go ahead, it is actually candy for lots of people. And Isla will get to go to school now.

You discuss concerning the new era, what’s it like watching the evolution of Team USA, [which] is it like a change of the guard in a approach?

Diana Taurasi: Oh yeah, I imply this crew that is gonna go to Germany for the World Cup, it is gonna push this subsequent era of USA Basketball ahead. And it has been such a wealthy tradition of nice ladies that love the sport of basketball that put all the things on the road for it. And to see Paige and Caitlin [Clark] and Angel [Reese] and even [Kahleah Copper] and Jackie Young, Stewie (Breanna Stewart) and A’ja [Wilson] are gonna be the vets now. And they’ll push that crew ahead going into LA for 2028.

Kara Lawson, being the brand new coach, there’s simply all these faces that you simply grew up taking part in with or towards and to see them in these positions the place USA Basketball is in actually good fingers for a very long time.