Channing Frye tells tale of Taurasi beating Nash in shooting competition

Steve Nash and Diana Taurasi are two of the best shooters in the long history of basketball in the state of Arizona.

We never got to see the two directly compete, but we now know of a time when there was a shooting competition between the two.

On the Road Trippin Podcast (explicit language warning), former Phoenix Suns and University of Arizona big man Channing Frye told the tale of how the shootout came to be.

Per Frye, he was shooting around along with teammates Jason Richardson and Steve Nash. With the Phoenix Mercury and Suns sharing a practice facility, the two teams will often cross paths.

“She was shooting, and we were like, ‘come on in here in this drill with us,'” Frye said, where they were taking 100 total shots.

Taurasi was cold from the jump, responding by asking if they were going to use the WNBA or NBA ball.

For those not familiar with Frye, he has a certain brand of humor. So when Taurasi said using the other ball was no problem, Frye recounts that he was “in trouble,” meaning he was hoping that splitting difference would end the possibility of the competition there.

It didn’t, and it didn’t go well for Frye and the other Suns.

Nash shot first and made 87 out of 100, which as Frye notes, is quite absurd. Richardson followed with 80, another ludicrous number.

“I come in there, and you know I’m young, I needed a bit more of a warm up … 74, 75 which is OK,” Frye said.

Taurasi was last and Frye says she didn’t miss for roughly three minutes and finished with an astronomical 94.

Frye later recounts running into Taurasi and her complimenting his game, which he fanned out about and was thrilled with. He noted that some other players would have their masculinity interfere in that type of situation, but Frye was geeking out like many would that Taurasi was familiar with his game.

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