Diana Taurasi, who is playing in her 20th WNBA season, did not officially announce her retirement after the Phoenix Mercury’s regular-season finale against the Seattle Storm on Thursday night. But the Mercury icon hinted the end could be near as she addressed the home crowd.
“If it’s the last time, it feels like the first time,” Taurasi said as the crowd sang, “One more year.”
“I love you guys.”
Taurasi played 18 minutes on Thursday as the Mercury lost 89-70 to the Storm, scoring nine points and recording one rebound and two assists. With 3:11 left in the fourth quarter, fans at the Footprint Center stood up and urged Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts to bring Taurasi back into the game. The first-year coach obliged. Taurasi returned to the match, where she blew a kiss and clapped at 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 possibly her final home game. As Taurasi left the field, fans chanted, “One more year.”
Diana Taurasi checks in again and the audience enjoys every second 🥹
ZEE-PHX | League pass 📱 pic.twitter.com/MIaFPkvB0g
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2024
When the match ended, the lights in the seating areas were dimmed as the spotlight shone 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 possible 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 coach, every player, every person who put on a WNBA jersey because they need the village,” Taurasi said. “To everyone who played before this league got to where it is today – we are grateful for you and we are grateful for the next generation.”
Several high-profile athletes and coaches attended Taurasi’s potential final 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 were to be the end of Taurasi’s WNBA career, she would leave the sport with a packed resume. He won three championships, became the league’s all-time leading scorer, earned six gold medals with Team USA and made 11 appearances in the WNBA All-Star Game. Her records include being the first WNBA player to score 10,000 career points, becoming the oldest player in 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 for the first time in a decade last year. But Thursday night was about Taurasi, her likely farewell and a chance for the Phoenix crowd to celebrate one of the franchise’s talented players.
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(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)