There has not been any confirmation or denial from Phoenix Mercury icon Diana Taurasi that she will retire in the offseason but according to her peers and teammates around her, the history she has made will live on forever no matter the decision she ultimately makes.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Since her inception in the league in 2004, Taurasi has become a household name across the world for her star power and the host of accolades she has achieved in her decorated 20-year career. She is a three-time WNBA champion, six-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, the all-time WNBA scoring leader, 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-WNBA First Team honoree, the 2009 WNBA MVP and a long list of other awards.
The 42-year-old retired from Olympic play after the 2024 Paris Games, having won every single tournament she competed in that international competition. Taurasi also won in the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2021 Tokyo Games.
While she remains undecided on whether she will call it a career in general or continue playing in the WNBA, she has been praised by so many people in the basketball universe.
Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, who has won four Olympic golds for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and had multiple interactions with Taurasi during his time in Phoenix, credited her for what she has done for the sport in the city, the state and the country.
“DT has done so much for basketball as a whole,” Durant said. “Her setting an example for basketball and the women’s game, introducing some people to the women’s game when she was coming out of UConn. To be with one franchise her whole career, reach the pinnacle, be the all-time leading scorer, 20 years in the league, championships, gold medals, she’s done it all. It is still DT that I met 15 years ago. I appreciate what she has brought to the game of basketball, this area of Phoenix and the whole of Arizona.”
Someone who has been in the Valley for their entire professional career like Taurasi, Suns guard Devin Booker is grateful for the relationship they have had with each other and he understands her greatness as well.
“Since Day 1, Diana has the energy and spirit, she is ready to play tomorrow,” Booker said. “They say she is retiring, I don’t know. I hope not because that has been a staple for me throughout my whole career here. Even the short conversations when passing in the locker rooms and passing in the weight rooms. Being a historian of the game and understanding that she has paved the way for this whole next generation coming up, she set the bar so high that they will probably not be able to ever reach.”
Taurasi is a free agent this offseason and with her up in age, many people are speculating that 2024 was her last year. Averaging 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 36 games this year, however, she still showed flashes that she can still be one of the better players in the league.
For Durant, he doesn’t only believe there is still a chance of Taurasi playing next year but she can carry on her career beyond that.
“I think she still got some time left, I think she has a couple more years to play. We’ll see,” Durant said. “Even if she doesn’t, she can walk away with her head held high for what she had done for the game.”
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
