Phoenix Mercury’s star Diana Taurasi has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance. Multiple reports, all sourcing the AP, are reporting Taurasi failed some kind of test, though we don’t know which or what for yet. The banned substance could range from recreational drugs to performance enhancers, with the list of banned substances typically a mile long.
Diana Taurasi Reportedly Tests Positive For Banned Substance
The AP report, while informative, leaves something to be desired. Below is the entire report, released Thursday evening.
NEW YORK -- WNBA star Diana Taurasi has tested positive for a banned substance.
The Wall Street Journal came through shortly thereafter with more details indicating the banned substance was neither a steroid or a recreational drug and that Taurasi’s A sample tested positive while she was playing in Turkey.
Howard Jacobs said Thursday night that Taurasi’s A sample came back positive from a Turkish lab and she was provisionally suspended by the Turkish league she’s playing in. Taurasi has requested that her B sample be tested.
Taurasi was the no-brainer No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft after a stellar career at UConn. Since then, Taurasi has been a five-time first team, and one-time second team, All-WNBA selection. In 2007, Taurasi’s Mercury won the WNBA Championship for the first time. In 2009, Taurasi led the Mercury to a second WNBA Championship, winning the WNBA Most Valuable Player and WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player award on the way.
Her career has been littered with individual and team achievements, making the news of a positive test for a banned substance even more shocking. For more details on Taurasi’s positive test, check out SB Nation Arizona and Swish Appeal, SB Nation’s WNBA blog.
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