As Diana Taurasi announced her retirement on Tuesday, it was shell-shocking. The Phoenix Mercury star had been with the franchise for 20 seasons and had left a permanent legacy on the team and the league. Her achievements are some that most would hope to dream about, let alone accomplish.
Three WNBA titles, three NCAA titles, and six Olympic Gold Medals highlight only a glimpse of her illustrious career. She hit the 10,000-point club and is the only member to do so. Although players like Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Caitlin Clark could likely hit that mark, Taurasi will always be the first.
Still, it seemed to be a matter of time before she officially announced her retirement. Taurasi and her best friend, Sue Bird, had a rivalry about who had the most Olympic Gold Medals. Both players had five until 2024. Taurasi was selected for the team and won her sixth Gold Medal. To this day, she’s the only basketball player to ever win six.
Even with the accolades, she garnered a reputation for being one of the WNBA’s most personable superstars. She attracted the attention of plenty of basketball players and athletes worldwide. One of the more prominent athletes was the late, great Kobe Bryant. The NBA legend nicknamed Taurasi “The White Mamba” for her killer instinct.
Although the Mercury superstar has Argentinian parents, the nickname stuck. Her killer instinct showed up, especially in the playoffs. She is the all-time leading playoff scorer in WNBA history. Again, with all of her accolades, some of her fondest moments came with the media.
In the 2022 season, I had my first conversation with Taurasi, and it didn’t end the way I expected.
How did Diana Taurasi see me after a Mercury loss?
The 2022 season was a tumultuous one, to say the least. Former teammate Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia. Taurasi tried to avoid the conversation at every waking moment. Lo and behold, this was my first season covering the Mercury, as well as my first season covering any professional team.
Once May 19, 2022, came around, the team lost 94-84 to the Dallas Wings. In that game, Taurasi and Marina Mabrey were involved in a scuffle. I asked Taurasi about that exchange and if it meant anything. Her response shocked me.
“I think that goes back to those Notre Dame and UConn days, but I think you’re probably too young for that though,” Taurasi said to me.
I was in complete shock. A 19-year-old did not expect Taurasi to make a joke like that. After all, we are roughly 20 years apart in age. However, I wasn’t done with my questions. I asked her to describe herself in one word. Once again, her response shocked me, but I couldn’t help but laugh.
“A kind-hearted a**hole,” Taurasi said, chuckling.
Once she was done, she got up from the podium and walked out of the room. On her way out, she told the Mercury communications manager, “Who’s that young kid?”
I thought my career was done. Rest assured, many assistants, including the communications manager herself, said that I was right. They mentioned that if Taurasi jokes with you, she truly likes you. Luckily, the jokes haven’t stopped between the two of us.
During the 2023 season, I flew to New York to see one of my best friends. However, I caught a Mercury game. Following the game, Taurasi saw me in the press conference room and answered my questions. Following that, she told me, “Safe travels homes, kiddo.”
Even when I joined the 2024 season late, she came up from behind me, gave me a pat on the shoulder, and said, “What’s up, Hayden?”
Gaining the respect and trust of arguably the WNBA’s greatest player ever is an accomplishment in and out of itself.
Plenty of Mercury fans will miss Diana Taurasi
The beginning of the end came against the Atlanta Dream on August 3, 2023. With a deep 3-pointer, Taurasi eclipsed 10,000 points. It was a matter of time, and her teammates were doing anything to get her the ball. After sinking the shot, her teammates, the fanbase, and many others celebrated.
She didn’t stop there. Taurasi scored 42 points on the night and had a hot hand. She is the only WNBA player to score 40+ points at age 40 or older. Even with that, they felt that there was nothing left to prove, at least until the Summer Olympics.
Once she secured the sixth Gold Medal, many signaled that was it. Following the break, eyebrows were raised, and questions came crashing in about her pending retirement. While her response was the same, she already made up her mind. In that TIME magazine article, she specifically talked about taking a trip to Australia in May 2025.
It went over her teammates’ heads. Safe to say, she’ll be taking that trip with her wife and former Mercury forward, Penny Taylor. The X-factor won’t be too happy to know that their star is retiring. The legacy left behind, though, should be inspiring for the next generation.
Can WNBA stars catch Taurasi’s accolades with Mercury?
With an increased season and an evolving league, the possibility is there. After all, Wilson scored 1,000 points last season and was the first player to ever score that amount in a single season. Not to mention, she’s in the prime of her career. Meanwhile, someone like Stewart has the skill set to become the greatest player.
The three-level scoring, size, and sheer skill have her at the top of the league. The winning is there for Stewart, as she won four NCAA titles, two MVPs, and two WNBA Finals MVPs. With the New York Liberty, she can keep adding to her vast collection of awards.
Then, there’s the rookie. Clark made an immediate impression on the league and even Taurasi herself. Before their matchup, Taurasi clarified her previous criticisms about Clark. Once they squared off against each other, the criticism was no more. There would be a new face of the league.
At the end of the day, plenty of players will try to establish themselves as the best player in the league, not just for one season, but forever.
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