Taurasi Retires from WNBA

One of the G.O.A.T.s of women’s basketball in both the collegiate and professional ranks has taken her final curtain call. Diana Taurasi put a bow on one of basketball’s most legendary careers on Tuesday afternoon by announcing her retirement from the WNBA.

Taurasi informed Time that she had decided to walk away from the league. On January 1, New Year’s Day, she made the difficult discovery that she “just didn’t have it in me.”

“Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” she said. “That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy.”

Taurasi, 42-years-of-age, joined the Phoenix Mercury at 22 years old as the first overall pick out of University of Connecticut in 2004. She went on to play 20 WNBA seasons, all with the Mercury franchise that drafted her and made her dreams come true. She spearheaded the Mercury to WNBA titles in 2007, 2009 and 2014, capturing Finals MVP honors in 2009 and 2014.

In her inaugural WNBA season, Taurasi earned Rookie of the Year honors and finished third in MVP voting. She made the first of her 14 career All-WNBA teams as a first-team selection. She was chosen for the first team a remarkable 11 times.

Taurasi made 11 All-Star teams. She broke through for her lone MVP selection in 2009, putting up fantastic numbers, averaging 20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc, on her way to a WNBA championship.

“Diana is the greatest to have ever played the game,” Mercury owner Mat Ishbia said in a statement. “I’ve been a fan of her my entire life, she is the ultimate leader and teammate. She’s had an incredible impact on our franchise, our community and the game of basketball. Her name is synonymous with the Phoenix Mercury, and she will forever be part of our family.”

In 2017, Taurasi eclipsed Hall of Famer Tina Thompson, who won four championships with the Houston Comets in her own right, with her 7,489th career point to become the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, and she was not done yet. She has since piled on to that tally and became the only player in league history to break the 10,000-point barrier during a 42-point explosion in 2023 against the Atlanta Dream. She was 41 years old at the time. Taurasi retires with a point total of 10,646, nearly 3,000 points higher than the WNBA’s second all-time leading scorer, Tina Charles, who also went to UConn.

“Diana Taurasi is one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “In a record-setting career that saw her play 20 seasons, score more points and make more 3-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she earned the unquestioned respect of players around the globe, delivered electrifying moments and captivated fans again and again.

“On behalf of the WNBA family, I thank Diana for everything that she has brought to the WNBA, her passion, her charisma and most of all, her relentless dedication to the game. She leaves a lasting legacy, and the future of the WNBA is in a great position because of her impact that will be felt for generations to come.”

Taurasi was a superstar before she burst onto the scene in the WNBA. She played a huge part in the mystique of a UConn program that has won an NCAA women’s basketball record 11 national championships under Geno Auriemma. Taurasi helped lead the program to its third, fourth and fifth titles in consecutive seasons from 2002-04.

Taurasi was a three-time Associated Press All-America selection and a two-time Naismith Award winner as the National Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. She was also named the AP National Player of the Year in 2003.

Taurasi is also an accomplished and decorated Olympian and the proud owner of the most Olympic basketball medals in history by an individual, all of them gold. She played in every Olympic Games from 2004 in Athens to Paris in 2024, just months before her retirement. Team USA won six gold medals during Taurasi’s tenure and never lost an Olympic game while sweeping through the Athens, Beijing, London, Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games.

“My scoring record, or the six gold medals, someone’s going to come around that has the same hunger, the same addiction to basketball, and put those records in a different way, a different name,” Taurasi said, via Time. “That’s what sports is all about. That’s going to be fun to watch. Hopefully not soon.”

Now she is calling it a career as she looks forward to the next chapter in her life. Taurasi retires on the short list of players competing for the crown of best player in the history of women’s basketball with a legacy and career resume that is second to none and likely to never be challenged or duplicated.