HARTFORD, Conn. — From the somewhat creative (“Diana is UConn’s Sweetheart”) to the simplistic (“Diana Rules”), signs in appreciation of Connecticut point guard Diana Taurasi draped across the crowd during last night’s game against Syracuse.

Taurasi is emerging as one of the best players in women’s college basketball history. So it was no surprise that Taurasi trotted out to center court during introductions and received an ovation twice as loud as any other player.

She’s earned it, averaging 17.7 points and 6.6 rebounds — both team highs — entering last night.

But with 15:55 left in the game, which No. 1 UConn won, 75-51, Taurasi’s night ended. After picking up her fourth foul, Taurasi walked to the bench and shrugged her shoulders in bewilderment. How could the best player in the country be benched from ineffectiveness?

‘She shrugged her shoulders like, ‘That’s another time the refs screwed up,’ ‘ Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma said. ‘According to her, she hasn’t fouled anybody since she was in the ninth grade.

‘Once she got her fourth foul, I figured, ‘What’s the point of bringing her back in? I’ll just let her sit there and stew and smother and wish she was out there and get all pissy and let her think about that dumb fourth foul she committed.’ ‘

In 15 minutes, Taurasi finished with five points on 1-of-6 shooting. She missed her first four shots before connecting on a 3-pointer 4:36 into the game. It was her only field goal of the night.

Taurasi was not made available for comment after the game. Still, Auriemma referenced her before he fielded a question in his postgame press conference.

‘Aren’t you glad ‘D’ isn’t up here?’ Auriemma said, ‘so you could get some real answers rather than some mumbo-jumbo.’

This much we know: As a 6-foot point guard, Taurasi generally towers over her counterparts. Last night, 5-foot-4 SU point guard Julie McBride defended Taurasi at the top of Syracuse’s 3-2 zone. McBride challenged Taurasi at every opportunity and even drew a charge.

‘She’s a great player,’ McBride said. ‘She’s a little bit taller than me, but I go against that every day. Playing against the best player in the country, it makes me play at a different level, too.’

After McBride took that charge, Taurasi went to the bench with two fouls. She returned with 6:00 left in the first half, and it took her less than a minute to pick up her third foul. Once again, she was banished to the bench, this time for the rest of the half.

Taurasi struggled with more than fouls, committing three turnovers in her brief stint. Two of her passes sailed over teammates’ heads.

As Taurasi sat on the bench, her jubilation never stalled. She cheered as teammate Barbara Turner scored a team-high 18 points.

‘Maybe it was a good opportunity for (Taurasi) to realize that maybe she doesn’t need to put as much pressure on herself,’ Auriemma said. ‘But we do need her in the game.”

Taurasi’s five points were her second-lowest output this year. In Connecticut’s 72-53 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 20, Taurasi scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting, but she grabbed eight rebounds. Last night, Taurasi collected three boards.

Unlike many top players, it seems, at least to her coach, Taurasi hasn’t received preferential treatment from referees.

‘Maybe Diana needs to snuggle up to the refs a little more,’ Auriemma said. ‘She’s not very referee-friendly out on the court. Let’s put it that way. I think the word is out on her.’

Published on February 12, 2003 at 12:00 pm