PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Mercury picked a perfect time to bottom out.

Thanks to their last-place finish in 2003, the Mercury have the No. 1 pick in Saturday's WNBA draft -- and the good fortune to have Diana Taurasi available.

Taurasi, who led Connecticut to three straight NCAA titles, might have the talent and charisma to return the Mercury to their winning ways after three non-playoff seasons.

"Diana transcends this country. Internationally, they're aware of who Diana is and what she brings,'' said Mercury general manager Seth Sulka, who announced last week that Phoenix would select the Huskies star ahead of Duke's Alana Beard and Stanford's Nicole Powell in what is viewed as a deep draft.

An 8-26 record -- the worst ever -- gave Phoenix the best odds in the Dec. 3 WNBA draft lottery, and the Mercury beat out four other non-playoff teams for the right to pick first. A month later, the Mercury got 2002 All-Star Penny Taylor from the defunct Cleveland Rockers in the dispersal draft.

"We've got a good core of players,'' Taurasi said. "They picked Penny Taylor, who made the All-Star game. There's a new coach. I'm excited to go in a different direction, and hopefully I'll be a good fit.''

Taurasi, who averaged 19.8 points in the NCAA Tournament and 15 points overall in college, believes she can deal with rebuilding.

"At the pro level it's going to be a little bit harder, but this isn't something that you get done in a year,'' she said. "It's going to take time, but each year I think if we could improve, hopefully we'll get better. When we go to training camp, our goal should be to get better month by month.''

Taurasi has had to share billing with Beard, who received the inaugural women's John R. Wooden Award last week and beat her out for the AP's player of the year honor, which Taurasi won in 2003.

But Mercury co-owner Kathy Munro had no qualms about settling on the organization's first No. 1 pick.

"When you have an opportunity as a franchise to draft a franchise player, you draft your franchise player,'' Munro said. "We think she's the ultimate team player, too.''

Taurasi is a two-time Final Four MVP, and Munro said Taurasi's ability to take over a big game was a determining factor.

"You look for those kind of leadership skills,'' Munro said. "Is she the best player? It's a judgment call. We think she is, and we think the fact that she can elevate her game at crucial moments is a great example of that leadership.''

Taurasi plans to attend the two-day WNBA rookie camp starting Thursday in Chicago and show up in Phoenix before training camp begins April 25. Her future teammates can't wait.

"She's just one of those players that really makes everyone on the court a better player, and it's going to be quite an experience,'' Mercury forward Kayte Christensen said.