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Editors note: This story originally appeared as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month series from One Nacion and ESPN Deportes.Can you have a divided heart? Of course you can.Diana Taurasi is a womens basketball superstar, winning three WNBA titles and six EuroLeague championships over her 12-year professional career, as well as four Olympic gold medals wearing the stars and stripes.She was born in California to an Argentine mother and an Italian father. It is precisely these two nationalities that have stolen her heart, blood and appetite.I am 90 percent Argentine and Italian and 10 percent American, Taurasi told ESPN at the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month. At home, we ate Argentine food, spoke Spanish, watched soccer. I still have the Latino and Italian spirit.Taurasi, who confidently proclaims leaning toward all things Latino, has spent most of her life in the United States, where she has achieved her greatest triumphs. In August, she won her fourth gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. In college, she won three consecutive NCAA championships (2002-04) at the University of Connecticut before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. Her self-assuredness as a guard was apparent from the beginning, and she received no shortage of individual awards and collective recognition after leading UConn to a 139-8 record during her career.Taurasi took to American culture like a duck to water, although her identity was very clear.Argentina and Italy are her favorite countries and it shows not only in the food she eats -- Barbecues and pizza with egg, and a little spaghetti with sauce, gnocchi, mate and wine -- but in all fields of her life. Family comes first for Taurasi, who entertained several family members during the Phoenix Mercurys recent visit to Los Angeles.She is feisty, ironic and sassy. Just ask FIBA about the time Taurasi refused to comply with a regulation that she felt was an insult to women. In order to play in the 2012 EuroLeague, players had to adapt their uniforms. The shorts had to end at least ten centimeters above the knee and could not be more than two centimeters wider than the thigh. The players also had to show their shoulders and wear jerseys that did not sit at the same height as their shorts, or were always tucked into them. Taurasi flatly refused and ended up paying out several hefty fines.Thats more Argentine; Argentines are always shouting and emotional, she added.Taurasis successes in Russia and Turkey and at the European level during the winters, as well as her commitment to the Mercury, have prevented her from traveling regularly to Argentina. She says five years have passed since her last visit to Argentina, the country where her mother was born and the place where her father arrived as a goalkeeper before finally quitting soccer. That is the source of Dianas love for soccer, and her worship of Diego Armando Maradona, who she met in the bleachers during a mens basketball game between the United States and Argentina.I saw Diego and asked someone if I could get a picture and say hi. Within 10 minutes, someone from the U.S. came over and off we went, she said. He is God; he is the one who always represented us in good times and bad. The champion.Taurasi was asked who her biggest Hispanic inspiration is in the world of sport.Diego is God to all Argentines, she said, but Manu [Ginobili] came from Argentina and changed the game in the NBA, how you play. And now Messi, with his touch and his worldwide impact, it has to be Messi.Together with Luis Scola, Ginobili also gave her the best advice she ever received.I have spoken a little with Manu and Luis Scola, we have the sense of being Argentine and I am very proud to play in the U.S. at such a high level, she said.And so, setting aside her heart and focusing on the American 10 percent, Taurasi has an eye on the next Olympic Games, which would be her fifth. At 34, she knows she needs to make a decision, but first she needs to do two things.I need to speak to [USA Basketball] and to myself.One conversation will be in English, the other in Spanish. Authentic Cavaliers Jerseys . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Wholesale Cavaliers Jerseys . 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If they were both all clear from exams Tuesday, there would be no missing the first office hours hosted by new Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval.The two 19-year-olds left campus in the East Bay hills and picked up food from McDonalds before arriving 75 minutes early. They found themselves first in line for Kavals time.We were expecting a big crowd. I was overly excited and then I got Michael excited about coming, too, Mitchell said. That was cool.Im not going to say no to meeting the As president, Doran added.They heard about plans for an intimate new ballpark and how it would benefit payroll, revenue, keeping star players, and Kaval told them to reach out with any ideas, even at 2 a.m.One of the most intriguing sessions was near the beginning with structural and earthquake engineer Ibbi Almufti, who offered a detailed presentation on his laptop featuring plans and the benefits of a floating ballpark five feet deep in the water- yes, thats right, in the water with the ability to move it around the bay while dealing with almost no earthquake risks.We dont want to capsize this thing, Kaval quipped, and then thanked Almufti with, Its a fascinating way to think outside the box.He offered up any help needed from his company -- engineering, architecture and design giant ARUP. It is responsible for some of the worlds most famous buildings, and Almufti pointed to a photo of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Birds Nest stadium.Almufti works in San Francisco and has a 3-year-old son, but I dont want him to grow up as a Giants fan, he said. Thats too easy.The college students and Almufti were among approximately 100 As fans to show up at the Oakland Coliseum as Kaval reached out with an open invitation as he tries to gather ideas for a proposed new ballpark and also improve the fan experience at the clubs current, rundown venue, through thoughtful communication and open dialoggue on any and all issues -- good and bad.dddddddddddd Bathrooms in the Bar & Grille need changing tables, pointed out Shaun Aguilar, who drove in from the Central Valley city of Modesto and attends about 15 games a year now that he has two sons ages 3 and 2.Id love to have you at a game, Kaval said, handing the sales manager two hats for his boys while inviting him to offer more insight along the way.With a stack of typed notes, Aguilar appreciated his brief time with Kaval, offering, I love the As, theyre second in my life after my family.Kaval opened shop at 3 p.m. and met with fans for 5 1/2 hours through dinnertime. People were invited on a first-come, first-served basis for short meetings with him in a suite overlooking the field -- currently rocking a Raiders logo for the AFC leaders. Peanuts, pretzels, popcorn and hot dogs with all the trimmings were provided, along with water, coffee and cocoa on a blustery December day.Hired last month in a restructuring of the As top ownership and management team, Kaval holds the same position with the MLS San Jose Earthquakes. There, he pulled off the building of the Quakes second-year, state-of-the art Avaya Stadium, which boasts the largest outdoor bar in North America.The As, with input from a variety of community leaders, are in the process of evaluating several Oakland sites with consideration to transit, parking, environment and surrounding opportunities for businesses and housing.At the end of each meeting, lasting up to about 10 minutes, Kaval handed out a postcard-sized note thanking fans for attending while providing his email address and Twitter handle for further communication. He will hold further office hours every Tuesday by appointment only.Its like a whole new image for the As starting when he cameking fans for attending while providinp://www.cheapfootballchinajerseys.com/]Wholesale Football Jerseys[/url] Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '