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The WNBA’s all-time leading scorer is hanging up her sneakers.
Diana Taurasi, an iconic figure in women’s hoops who was voted “greatest of all time” by the league’s fans, announced her retirement after 20 seasons on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old revealed her decision in an exclusive interview with Time magazine.
“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, the face of women’s hoops decades before stars like Caitlin Clark arrived on scene, leaves the game as one of the most decorated players in history regardless of gender.
Drafted No. 1 overall in 2004, she was a 3-time national champion at UConn and 3-time WNBA champion with the Phoenix Mercury, who she played her entire career with.
She made 11 All-Star games, was a 2-time finals MVP, WNBA MVP and won six gold medals playing for the U.S. at every Olympics from 2004 in Athens to 2024 in Paris.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert hailed Taurasi as “one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage.”
“In a record-setting career that saw her play 20 seasons, score more points and make more three-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she has earned the unquestioned respect of players around the globe, delivered electrifying moments and captivated fans again and again,” Engelbert said in a statement.
“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.”
Taurasi scored 10,646 points — the only WNBA player to surpass the 10K mark in scoring — in 565 regular-season games, and she scored another 1,476 points in 72 playoff games.
A five-time WNBA scoring champion, she also leaves as the WNBA’s leader in 3-pointers made with 1,447 in the regular season and 215 in the playoffs.
Josh Bartelstein, the chief executive officer of the Mercury and Phoenix Suns, called Taurasi “the face of the Mercury and women’s basketball for 20 years.”
“She revolutionized the game with her scoring ability, infectious personality and the edge she brought to the court every night,” Bartelstein said. “There will only ever be one Diana Taurasi, and she will continue to inspire us for years to come and remain part of the fabric of this city.”
In a statement, legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma said that Taurasi “had as much to do with changing women’s basketball as anyone who’s ever played the game.”
“In my opinion, what the greats have in common is, they transcend the sport and become synonymous with the sport,” Auriemma said. “For as long as people talk about college basketball, WNBA basketball, Olympic basketball: Diana is the greatest winner in the history of basketball, period. I’ve had the pleasure of being around her for a lot of those moments, and she’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever coached. I’m happy for her and her family. At the same time, I’m sad that I’ll never get to see her play again, but I saw more than most.”
Tributes from throughout the basketball and sporting world began flooding social media on Tuesday night. LeBron James, the face of the NBA for more than two decades, was among those quoted by Time.
“Just seeing her transcend the game, watching little girls want to play like her, her style, her flair, her bravado, you know, her swagger, it’s been an unbelievable treat,” the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, said.
“She’s one of the all-time greatest, and she will leave her mark on the game of basketball the moment she ties those shoes up and throws them over the pole line. It’s been an honor. All love.”
