LILLE (France) - When Diana Taurasi stepped into the post-game press conference after what most people had assumed was a golden swansong at Tokyo 2020, something just didn't feel quite right.
An essential ingredient of her stellar career was owning the spotlight, living for the biggest clutch moments, as well as having the devilment to inject extra edge with some memorable 'fan interaction' down the years. In short, Taurasi was the ultimate 'basketball box-office'.
Yet there she was, seemingly stepping away from USA action at a pandemic-hit Games and inside an empty Arena. It was never going to be a fitting ending for someone many consider as the GOAT in Women's Basketball.
It was basically a farewell party without the music or the guests.
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Any normal and rationale person would have been happy to retire - Taurasi
During that press-conference, she joked by saying how much she loved Paris. Planned or instinctive? Even Taurasi herself is adamant that at that moment, she was never one hundred percent sure if the curtain had fallen on her USA career or not.
"I think it was still a little bit up in the air," she admitted when reflecting back to 2021.
"Obviously you can only dream of playing in five [Olympics] and any normal and rationale person would have been happy to retire.
"But whenever you get to put this jersey on, it's definitely an honor."
Three years later, here she is at Paris 2024 - ready to go for a sixth edition of the Games and ready for the golden swansong and farewell she craved - and deserved.
Extending her stay beyond Tokyo 2020 has given Taurasi the chance to discuss a mind-blowing six editions, with the legendary guard agreeing to share her memories and thoughts on an amazing Olympic journey.
Amazing Athens in 2004
Push the rewind button to her first ever Olympic outing two decades ago and Taurasi's eyes light up at the very mention of the event."2004 in Athens was amazing. I was literally this 21-year-old kid just looking around and smiling the whole time," she recalled.
"We actually stayed on the Queen Mary on a boat, so that alone - staying on a boat, in Greece, the weather is beautiful, the food is amazing and I am there with my best friend Sue [Bird] on the national team.
"You know, we were just kind of the two 'newbies'. We learned a lot. We got to play a little bit. So, that one is always special."
An added dimension is that unlike the Olympic experiences that followed, there was very little played out social media, or even on phones generally.
The enthusiasm Taurasi shows towards Athens maybe owes itself in part, to it having taken place during a completely different era. It required the mind to actively capture memories, instead of clicking record and then uploading to the cloud for later use. "Probably, yeah," she said laughing in response to the theory.
"Not only that, but these memories that we have, which are amazing, there's no footage of them. There's no footage of us hanging out, you know, on the boat, there with the men's team, when we were all just chillin."
"The whole point was just getting together because you couldn't be in LA and you coudn't be in New York through your phone. You were just there with the people on the boat. So, it cultivated this cool energy.
"We've tried to always keep that as we don't stay in the village and the men don't either. That has always been the synergy we've had when we go to all these places," she added.
There was synergy on the court, too. USA celebrated a title success, with Taurasi picking up the first of five gold medals as her team beat Australia in the Final.
Ending two years of pain at Beijing 2008
Four years later, it was a whole different experience. The 'Road to China' was a painful one. Two years earlier in what was Taurasi's first FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, USA were denied gold.
Beaten in the Semi-Finals 75-68 in what was the rarest of losses, they ended up standing in the unusual position of the third podium step as Australia won the title."Yeah, we lost at the Worlds and the two-year prep going to Beijing was probably the most rigorous and was probably the hardest," revealed Taurasi.
"We had that bitter taste of losing in the Semi-Finals to the Russians. So, that Beijing team was the intersection of the veterans and the younger ones growing up.
"Obviously we still had Lisa (Leslie) and Tina (Thompson) on the team. You could see a change there and they were unbelievable in that transition."
Taurasi's role in Beijing was elevated considerably - she was handed the third most minutes, averaged double-digits and helped USA win again as they blew away the Opals in the Final.
The Auriemma Era of London 2012
Taurasi's enthusiasm and overriding memory of her third edition of the Games was about one thing only. The arrival of her former UConn coach and a legendary figure at the helm of the USA.
She explained: "London was great and that was my first time in England and also Coach [Geno] Auriemma took over."
"There was that synergy of you know, my mentor, the person that I rely on for a lot of things in life.
"There he was [with me]."
Taurasi loved the feel-good factor of the British capital and the added boost of playing once again for Auriemma. She top-scored for her country as USA posted an unbeaten campaign again, including another comprehensive Final success as they took down France, 86-50.
The best USA team ever steps out for Rio 2016
It's a debate that will have been discussed a million times by USA fans and those beyond, but without any kind of a prompt, Taurasi probably just settled an argument.
"That was probably the best team that we ever had," she declared with a nod of the head when reflecting on USA's lineup in Rio.
"On these national teams there is always this dynamic of having the older guard and the young kids and trying to mesh them together."
"But I think at that point we had the most people in the prime of their careers. We had Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Elena Delle Donne, 'Stewie', Seimone Augustus, Syl Fowles.
"Everyone was at the top of their game and you don't get that very often."
The results and performances supported Taurasi's assessment that this was the best USA team ever. Once again she was top-scorer and the reigning champions extended their golden streak further - signing off the tournament with a mammoth 101-72 success against Spain.
The farewell party that never happened at Tokyo 2020
Flipping back to Tokyo 2020, Taurasi has mixed feelings about how things unfolded. Perhaps no different to others who experienced it.
"We talk about it all the time," she explained.
"It was unfortunate. Not only for the Olympics, but for the Japanese who were going to put on a great show. The venues were amazing. It was as organized as you could imagine and for there not to be any fans there, I think was a bit sad for everyone overall.
"Especially if you were an Olympian who had been to the Olympics in the past. We also had a couple of first-timers and we were on the bus and they were asking, 'so how are the normal Olympics' and yes, they are very different," continued Taurasi.
"You can go see other events and you can explore the city because it is just as much about that beauty of the Olympics - seeing other Olympians and [USA Olympic] teammates.
"This time around for everyone it will be a little different [to Tokyo]."
Despite a lack of fans, atmosphere and the kind of vibe that Taurasi loves to feed off so much, USA did the business They claimed their seventh consecutive gold by beating Japan 90-75.
No fairytale guarantee at Paris 2024
Fast-forward to today and Taurasi stands on the brink of a potential sixth gold medal.
"This one will be a challenge," she insisted.
"We had a great showing at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 in Australia, but that was tough for me. I was dealing with a quad injury and just coming off of it, so I wasn't quite ready to commit and to be able to play.
"So this [Paris 2024 Tournament] is special in a lot of ways."
With unprecedented media attention on her, Taurasi will take it in her stride. She believes the story about her sixth appearance is a sideshow and certainly not the main show for USA.
"You know, when you get to 41 years-old, you kind of just find a way to put all these things aside and focus on the things that are most important," she mused.
"That has always been basketball for me. It's always been getting prepared for this team. And not only that, I think that as an organization [USA Basketball] we have always done a great job of focusing on the task at hand, respecting our opponents, competing and preparing in the right way.
"The other things just kind of flow and don't affect the way that we play on court. I think that's why we look back and have had so much success on the international stage."
If things go according to the script, it's going to be quite something and perhaps a deeply emotional moment if Taurasi is handed a sixth gold medal and the USA anthem rings out.
"I try not to [think about that moment]. I try not to look too far ahead. But you know, it would be amazing," she smiled.
"I have been on this team for 20 years now. You always want to go out with a fairytale ending. But sometimes you don't get to control it though.
"Plus, I won't have Sue [Bird] either, so I will have nobody to have coffee or run amok with. I am going to have to find a different partner," she joked.
And next up - Los Angeles 2028?
"Well, I am from LA," laughed Taurasi at the very mention of the next Games being held on home soil.
Only this time and unlike her mention of Paris in that Tokyo press-conference, the tongue of the USA legend was planted firmly in her cheek.
It's time to sign off in style and with the kind of party she just couldn't have in the Japanese capital.
FIBA
