Three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi has become a legendary name in women's basketball for many reasons — including her iconic hair bun. Taurasi could be easily identified by fans throughout her playing days by her signature hairstyle, so it's a pretty big deal that she's chosen a USC women's basketball player as the next “bun of the league.”
Taurasi appeared on the “No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show” podcast to discuss the current affairs of the WNBA while looking toward its future. As one of the former faces of the league, Taurasi has been paying attention to upcoming talent, and Trojans star JuJu Watkins has definitely caught her eye.
When jokingly asked who would fill her shoes as the next great player to rock a bun, Taurasi barely hesitated before giving her answer.
“There is one special young lady from Los Angeles, Southern California, who is one of my favorite players of all time already, JuJu,” Taurasi answered decisively. “So by all means, I will pass the bun torch to JuJu today.”
Article Continues BelowThis isn't the only time Taurasi has made her love for Watkins publicly known. The 42-year-old was once asked who she would choose for a pick-up game between Watkins and 2025's No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Paige Bueckers, and Taurasi chose the USC women's basketball standout over her fellow UConn alum in Bueckers.
However, Bueckers found out that while Taurasi is genuinely a fan of Watkins, she used the answer to encourage the reigning NCAA champion.
“I saw the video and I was like, ‘Alright bro, I see what you're doing,'” Bueckers recalled. “‘You picked JuJu over me. What's up with that? You told me you had my back, it was me over everybody.' And she was like, ‘Yeah, dog, I just did that to motivate you. It's all motivation.'”
Watkins, who is currently recovering from an ACL tear suffered during the March Madness tournament, is expected to enter the WNBA in 2027.