Phoenix Mercury shooting guard Diana Taurasi looking at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame building

The Phoenix Mercury released a less-than-subtle video on X , formerly Twitter about guard Diana Taurasi. They alluded that her final days in a Mercury uniform could soon come.

 

This isn’t the first time Taurasi has been asked about possibly retiring. She’s usually mentioned how she’ll retire when she stops playing altogether. However, many questioned why she would continue playing when there was nothing else for her to prove. She is the all-time leader in points scored, three-pointers made and attempted, and most Olympic gold medals in basketball. The list simply goes on and on.

In 2024, Taurasi had the opportunity to cement her legacy across the globe. Heading into the Summer Olympics, Taurasi and long-time best friend Sue Bird were both tied with five Olympic gold medals. She dropped a joke about why she ended up on the stacked USA Women’s National Team roster, via Lindsay Schnell of USA Today.

“Yeah, it’s the only reason I came,” Taurasi said. “It’s funny cause we scored the same amount of points today.”

What does Diana Taurasi have left to prove for the Mercury, WNBA?

Phoenix Mercury tease Diana Taurasi's potential retirement


Honestly, nothing. Taurasi has set just about every record imaginable. Taurasi has played either with or against every WNBA Hall-of-Famer. Even in year 20, she’s made an incredible impact on rookies like Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Angel Reese.

Clark’s game is very reminiscent of when Taurasi first came into the league. Both were extremely solid ball-handlers, great perimeter shooters, and had the ability to put the ball in the basket. Clark averaged greater numbers than Taurasi in college but had more responsibility. More minutes played, more shot attempts, and more attention on her defensively. Even with people trying to make both players into a rivalry heading into 2024, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The list goes on of players Taurasi has inspired. Not only Clark, but Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and even former WNBA all-star Lindsay Whalen. Her confidence, swagger, and consistency made her a staple within the WNBA community and beyond. In 2023, Taurasi hit another huge milestone. 10,000 points. She was asked if she would change anything about her journey to playing basketball. Her response was quite simple.

 

As the Mercury have two more home games left in the season, there should be plenty of fans. The last time Taurasi did something historic, she scored 42 points en route to 10,000. Even with the WNBA Playoffs around the corner, Taurasi could give everybody one last taste of greatness, if she decides to walk away after the 2024 season.