Diana Taurasi, playing in her 20th WNBA season, didn’t officially announce her retirement Thursday night after the Phoenix Mercury’s regular season finale against the Seattle Storm. But the Mercury icon hinted the end may be imminent as she addressed the home crowd.
“If it is the last time, it felt like the first time,” Taurasi said as the crowd chanted, “one more year.”
“I love you guys.”
Taurasi played 18 minutes Thursday as the Mercury lost 89-70 to the Storm, where she scored nine points and tallied one rebound and two assists. With 3:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, fans at the Footprint Center got on their feet, urging Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts to sub Taurasi back into the game. The first-year coach obliged. Taurasi checked back into the game where she blew a kiss and clapped to the crowd, who showered her with cheers.
It was a 10-second curtain call for the Mercury fans to show their appreciation for a historic player in potentially her final home game. As Taurasi left the court, fans chanted, “One more year.”
Diana Taurasi checks back in and the crowd is lovin’ every second of it
SEA-PHX | League Pass pic.twitter.com/MIaFPkvB0g
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2024
When the game ended, the lights dimmed in the seating areas as the spotlight beamed on Taurasi at center court. Before she addressed the crowd, a tribute video for Taurasi played on the screen above. It was the same video that the Mercury social media account posted to X on Thursday afternoon, teasing a potential retirement announcement.
Taurasi thanked the city of Phoenix, a place she called “home.” She praised her teammates and coaches, along with the fans who supported her career.
Dear Dee –
Love,
All of Us pic.twitter.com/SnO1q10Fdp— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 19, 2024
“I want to thank every single coach, every single player, every single person that’s put on a WNBA jersey because it takes the village,” Taurasi said. “For everyone who played before this league is where it is now — we’re thankful for you guys and we’re thankful for the next generation.”
Several high-profile athletes and coaches attended Taurasi’s potential last game, including four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird, World Cup and Olympic champion Megan Rapinoe, UConn coach Geno Auriemma, UConn associate coach Chris Dailey, Phoenix Suns shooting guard Damion Lee, small forward Josh Okogie and Taurasi’s parents Mario and Lilliana.
If Thursday was the end of Taurasi’s WNBA career, she would leave the sport a jam-packed resume. Winning three championships, becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer, earning six gold medals with Team USA and making 11 WNBA All-Star Game appearances. Her records include being the first WNBA player to score 10,000 career points, becoming the oldest player in either the NBA or WNBA to score 40 points in a game and her overall point total (10,646 points).
For the Mercury, the team advanced to the playoffs after missing the postseason last year for the first time in a decade. But Thursday night was about Taurasi, her likely farewell and a chance for the Phoenix crowd to celebrate one of the franchise’s accomplished players.
Required reading
(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5781439/2024/09/20/diana-taurasi-phoenix-mercury-retirement/
