OLYW - Taurasi ready when games matter

LONDON (Olympics) – Diana Taurasi underlined her status as a big-game player on Sunday with a scoring eruption for the United States against China that clinched first place in Group A of the Preliminary Round Olympic Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Averaging just seven points in the USA’s three wins over Croatia, Angola and Turkey, Taurasi poured in 18 in Friday’s victory over the Czech Republic, and with a top seed for the knockout stage at stake against China, she had 16 in the first half as the USA opened up a 61-36 lead.

They rolled in the second half to a 114-66 victory, tying a USA women’s record for points scored in an Olympic game.

“The thing Diana understands more than everyone else I've been around is, what the big stage is, once the lights are brightest, when the games mean the most,” said USA coach Geno Auriemma.

“Today's game against China was to win our pool.

“And that's when Diana's at her best - always has been, never lets you down, never disappoints you.”

Auriemma knows Taurasi as well as anyone.

“I've coached Diana since before her freshmen year in college in a US junior qualifying tournament and the first five games we played in Argentina, I think she averaged like nine points a game,” Auriemma said.

“And right before we played Brazil, I said: ‘Look, stop screwing around and trying to get everyone involved. We need you to get 30 tonight.’

“And she got 29.”

Taurasi, who turned 30 in June, won NCAA titles with Auriemma at the UConn and captured Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008 with the United States.

Under Auriemma two years ago, she reached the top of the podium with the American team coached by Auriemma at the FIBA World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic.

Taurasi has captured numerous crowns as a professional with clubs in both the United States and Europe.

One of her teammates both at UConn and on the last three Olympic teams is Sue Bird.

“I think she’s being more aggressive,” Bird said.

“Sometimes, when you have so many great players, you have a tendency to overpass, just be very unselfish.

“I think Diana for us is a player who right out of the gate has to be aggressive.

“And I think she knows that and has started to do it more and more.”

Next up for Taurasi is a Quarter-Final against Canada.

FIBA