In the new Prime docuseries Taurasi, retired USA and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi opened up about not playing any minutes in her sixth and final Olympic gold-medal game in Paris last summer.
Having won gold at five consecutive past Olympic Games, Taurasi made the 2024 Team USA roster at 42-years-old precisely because of her deep veteran experience on the international stage.
"I always felt like I deserved to be on the team," she said in the third episode of the three-part series. "It was my team for 20 years and I know how to get the job done."
"She's there to lead," fellow retired basketball icon Sue Bird — Taurasi's longtime friend and teammate in those first five Olympic outings — explained during the episode. "She's there to calm everyone down when s—t gets weird because s—t's gonna get weird. It always does."
While Taurasi played minutes off the bench throughout the tournament, she failed to step on the court during the USA's narrow one-point victory over France last August.
"She should have played, 100%. And to be honest, I don't know why they didn't play her," said Bird. "This was the game she was actually brought here for."
"I'm confused by what happened," Taurasi acknowledged. "I never got [an explanation like], 'Hey, you're not going to play because we're going this direction.' Sounds good. I can live with that."
"Maybe it was just my time to get the raw end of the stick," she continued.
"I've done this five other times where I felt like I really earned it," Taurasi concluded. "This one was the one that doesn't belong."
How to watch the docuseries "Taurasi"
All three episodes of Taurasi are currently available to stream on Prime.
Retired WNBA legend Diana Taurasi is getting the Hollywood treatment, with Prime debuting a three-part docuseries on the three-time league champion's illustrious career on Thursday.
Calling the story "one of community, legacy, and what it means to show up for each other," Taurasi explained in a Tuesday social media post that "it was never just about basketball. It was about the people — those who I had the privilege to compete with."
"This week, my story — our story — comes to life in a new way. The documentary drops, and I can't wait for you to see the moments behind the moments," the 43-year-old also said.
To produce the docuseries, Australian director Katie Bender Wynn followed Taurasi through the final months of her professional basketball career, capturing her last season with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury as well as her gold-medal run with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Each episode highlights a specific time in Taurasi's journey, moving in chronological order from racking up three NCAA championships with UConn to playing overseas in Russia and Turkey as well as moments from her personal life back home.
How to watch the docuseries "Taurasi"
All three episodes of Taurasi are currently available to stream on Prime.
The NWSL is officially pulling back the curtain, with Prime Video green-lighting For the Win: NWSL, a new docuseries centered on the league's 2024 playoffs and Orlando's victorious NWSL Championship run.
According to the league's Tuesday announcement, the four-part series offers "unprecedented access" by taking viewers inside "one of the most thrilling seasons in NWSL history."
It "[covers] the intensity, resilience, and passion that define the league’s top teams and star players as they battle for the ultimate prize: the Championship trophy."
"Through exclusive interviews, locker-room access, and heart-pounding match highlights, the documentary captures the nostalgia, emotion, and fierce competition that shapes a playoff run within the fastest growing league in the world."
The series promises coverage of retiring USWNT icon Alex Morgan, newly minted Orlando champion and Brazilian legend Marta, as well as Washington Spirit stars Trinity Rodman and reigning NWSL Rookie and Midfielder of the Year Croix Bethune.
For the Win: NWSL joins wave of women's soccer documentaries
Women's soccer has been entering the realm of sports documentaries for years, with behind-the-scenes looks into the USWNT, the NWSL's Angel City FC, WSL side Chelsea FC, and more popping up on screens worldwide.
The latest offering of For the Win: NWSL comes backed by sports stars, with a producing team helmed by Connor Schell and Libby Geist of Words + Pictures as well as the aforementioned Morgan and Gotham FC investor and NFL legend Eli Manning.
While no premier date has been set, the series will stream exclusively in over 240 countries and territories on Prime Video, which also serves as one of the NWSL's broadcast partners.
Prime is also gearing up to kick off the upcoming NWSL season by exclusively airing the 2025 Challenge Cup on March 7th. That contest boasts a rematch of the 2024 championship game between the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit.
The streamer will then begin their 25-match Friday night regular-season run when the Pride hosts the rebranded Chicago Stars FC on March 14th.