Diana Taurasi, probably the most prolific gamers in girls’s basketball historical past, decides to hold up her jersey. As she walks as much as the press desk, a roar of applause emerges. Taurasi hugs Scorch, the Phoenix Mercury’s group’s mascot since 2002, and adjusts the microphone in entrance of her.
She utters the phrase, “Wow.”
As Taurasi, the SoCal native who twice named California Ms. Basketball at Don Lugo (Chino Calif.), additionally led UConn to a few consecutive NCAA titles in 2002-04, thanks the individuals for displaying up as actuality washes over her face.
“I don’t suppose it’s felt actual till simply now. I haven’t been on this constructing, I believe, for the reason that final shoot-around, proper, Coach?” Taurasi says.
She recollects the reminiscences of being in Phoenix and proceeds to thank a number of people for his or her unwavering assist, starting along with her household after which shining a light-weight particularly on her spouse, Penny Taylor, who additionally performed with the Mercury and can be a Ring of Honor member with the franchise. She thanks the Mercury employees and entrance workplace and emphasizes that her 20-year profession in Phoenix is a testomony to her sacrifice, which defines her love for the sport of basketball.
“It Was Time”
Taurasi knew it was time when the brand new calendar 12 months approached, and her annual preparation for a season grew to become extra delayed because the weeks, then months, handed by.
“I knew in my coronary heart that I didn’t have it in me to place that four-month preparation going into the season, and I used to be high-quality with that,” Taurasi stated.
Taurasi displays on what 20 years felt like and was fortunate sufficient to be part of. The final 20 years of Taurasi’s profession are easy: “I simply needed to win.”
Taurasi credit her circle and town of Phoenix for all the assist and ensures reciprocity is a principal objective for her success. “I at all times thought-about being in Phoenix a two-way avenue, for as a lot as they’ve executed for me, I needed to offer that again, and that was to win,” she stated.
Taurasi’s legacy is perpetually etched in basketball historical past, however in Phoenix, she might be thought-about immortal as her retirement from the WNBA leaves a chance for upcoming girls athletes. The objective to go away the sport higher than once you discovered it’s thought-about a hit for her.
A Legacy Fulfilled
Taurasi will now be a part of Phoenix Mercury historical past because the sixth member of the Mercury Ring of Honor, alongside Jennifer Gillom, Cheryl Miller, Bridget Pettis, Taylor, and Michele Timms, as introduced in a latest press launch. When requested about her response to the celebrated honor, she replied, “I had a terrific dialog with Matt (Ishbia), and everytime you discuss to him, he offers you this burst of power and actually desires you to symbolize town and franchise. He has such love and admiration, and it’s very nice to really feel that.”
Taurasi may also have her jersey quantity retired within the ceremony, including to the already featured Diana Taurasi courts within the Mercury’s new state-of-the-art follow facility in downtown Phoenix.
D By The Numbers
Taurasi was chosen No. 1 total within the 2004 WNBA Draft by the Mercury and has since performed her total profession with the franchise. In 20 seasons, she averaged 18.8 factors, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 565 common season video games. She is considered one of 4 gamers in NBA/WNBA historical past to play 20 seasons for one franchise, becoming a member of Dirk Nowitzki, Udonis Haslem, and the late Kobe Bryant. Her 20 seasons within the WNBA are probably the most in historical past.
Alongside along with her embellished profession, Taurasi is a three-time champion (2007, 2009, and 2014), a 14-time ALL-WNBA choice, an 11-time WNBA All-Star, a two-time WNBA Finals MVP, a 2009 WNBA MVP, a six-time Olympic gold medalist, and was voted the WNBA Best Participant of All Time within the 2021 twenty fifth Anniversary season. Taurasi retires because the WNBA all-time chief in scoring (10,646), made discipline objectives (3,341), three-point discipline objectives (1,447), and free throws made (2,517) whereas additionally rating 4th in WNBA historical past in assists (2,394).
Congratulations Diana, and cheers to the following chapter!
