Diana Taurasi, WNBA legend who recently retired, opened up about the various factors which pushed her to take the crucial decision. Taurasi announced her retirement a couple of weeks back after 20 seasons with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Her announcement broke many hearts, with thousands leaping laurels on arguably one of the greatest basketball players ever.
Taurasi was selected by the Phoenix Mercury as the first overall pick in the very first round of the 2004 WNBA draft. Before that, the 42-year-old point guard was molded in UConn from 2000 to 2004. In her career, Taurasi has managed to win the WNBA championship thrice, while making it as an All-Star 11 times.
“I know the work that goes into preparing for a season… I knew in my heart that I didn’t have it in me to put in that four month preparation that I usually do to go into a season. I just didn’t have that in me anymore and I was fine with that.” Diana Taurasi said in a recent press meet.
“I just didn’t have it in me, anymore.”
Diana Taurasi told @eliavgabay the moment she knew she would retire. pic.twitter.com/8p4LupOamr
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) March 13, 2025
In her final season with the Phoenix Mercury, Diana Taurasi managed an average of 18.8 points in each game, while grabbing 3.9 rebounds and assisting 4.2 times in each matchup. As she retires from her beloved sport, Taurasi leaves behind a void which can be filled by no other. Despite being called ‘Dirty Diana’ for her aggressiveness on the court, the legendary player has and will continue to inspire generations of hoopers onward.
Diana Taurasi’s Former Phoenix Teammate Makes It To Unrivaled Semifinals With Rose BC
While Diana Taurasi leaves an unimaginable void in the Phoenix Mercury, other players are ready to take up her mantle. Kahleah Copper is one such player, who is currently making the best of her WNBA offseason by playing for the Rose basketball club in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled League.
Copper seems to have joined the right squad in the very first season of the Unrivaled with the Rose basketball club, which is scheduled to take on the Laces basketball club for the semifinals of the tournament on Sunday night. If they win, they will be on their way to the finals of the tournament the following Monday night.
As of now, Kahleah Copper’s Rose basketball club is ranked second in the Unrivaled standings with eight wins and six defeats. Meanwhile, the Lunar Owls are continuing to dominate the table with a whopping 13 wins and a solo defeat.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through [email protected]. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
