Diana Taurasi once said in a 2022 ESPN interview that she was not going to “ease my way out.” She said she isn’t interested in a farewell tour, and from the looks of her recent interviews, it seems like the 2024 season could be her final one
The three-time WNBA champion has kept mum about her plans after this season, but she will become an unrestricted free agent after this year. Fans will continue to see Taurasi play as the Phoenix Mercury are locked in for the playoffs. After the postseason, however, one can only make a guess if that’s it for her.
Breanna Stewart shared her thoughts about Diana Taurasi’s potential retirement after the playoffs.
“I don’t know what D’s [Taurasi] gonna do because as a basketball player, she wants to compete and she can still do it year after year,” Stewart said. “But if this is the end, my time kind of playing with Diana and against her has been nothing but short of incredible.”
The New York Liberty star added, “She’s someone that I definitely look up to and was happy to share the court with her through three Olympics, which is insane.”
2016 marked Taurasi’s 13th WNBA season and Stewart’s rookie year. They faced each other numerous times when “Stewie” was still with the Seattle Storm, but following the six-time WNBA All-Star’s move to New York in 2023, they didn’t face each other as much.
Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart played together in three consecutive Olympics—in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, in Tokyo in 2020 (which was actually moved a year later due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and in Paris this year—winning gold on all occasions. They also won gold in two consecutive FIBA World Cup tournaments, their first being in Turkey in 2014 and then in Spain four years later.
Diana Taurasi handed the Liberty a remarkable loss this season
Diana Taurasi arguably had her best game on June 18, when she helped her then-7-7 Phoenix Mercury squad defeat then-12-2 New York Liberty.
Breanna Stewart finished that game with 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting with a perfect 4-for-4 form beyond the arc. She also tallied four rebounds, five assists and five steals that night.
However, the 42-year old Taurasi repeatedly broke through the Liberty’s defense and stole the show with 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and one block, sealing the 99-93 win
Taurasi and Stewart met again in late August for a rematch, and the Liberty got their win back, defeating the Mercury, 84-70.
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