Her father, Mario, played professional soccer in Italy.
Named the 2000 Parade magazine National High School Player of the Year.
Was part of three NCAA championship teams at Connecticut, where she won the 2003 and 2004 Naismith Player of the Year awards, and was a member of gold-medal winning Olympic teams in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Appeared in the 2006 hoops docudrama Believe in Me as a basketball coach.
Selected No. 1 overall in the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, and won the WNBA scoring title, regular-season MVP, team championship and WNBA finals MVP in 2009.
Was named the WNBA Finals MVP in 2014.
Sat out the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.