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It’s public knowledge that WNBA stars used to play overseas during the offseason to supplement the modest income they earn in the American league. As told by star players like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson and Candace Parker, they earned salaries 10 times or more than what their teams in the “W” paid them. They also got the “real” superstar treatment while playing there. And most told stories about perks and benefits they never got in the WNBA or even in their entire basketball careers.
However, perhaps the craziest of all happened in 2015, when Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg asked then Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi to sit out the entire WNBA season to ensure she would be 100 percent healthy and rested for the next Russian campaign.
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“Since 2004, when I started professional basketball, it has been a cycle, a cycle that I have enjoyed so much. With my team in Russia, a conversation began about making sure I’m at an elite level for a long time with them. I put everything on the table and weighed all my options and made the best decision,” said Taurasi. “I’m really lucky to even have these options. It speaks volumes on how UMMC values our relationship and vice versa. For 10 years, I have never had any significant time off.”
UMMC wanted Diana to be ready for the 2016 wars
Taurasi joined the WNBA as the No.1 overall pick of the 2004 WNBA Draft, and one year later, she started playing overseas. Diana was among those who enjoyed the royal treatment from Spartak Moscow team owner Shabtai Kalmanovich, but after the former KGB spy was assassinated, she moved to Turkey. But in 2012, DT returned to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, and a partnership boomed.
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Immediately, UMMC won the 2012-13 Russian League title and the 2013 Euroleague championship. They also won the following two Russian titles but came up short in the semifinals and finals of the 2014 and 2015 Euroleague tournaments.
During the 2015 edition, Diana sat out the title game with a broken hand, and that led the UMMC ownership to propose to Taurasi that she sit out the next WNBA season to get ready for the next Russian League year, but of course, with pay. The amount was not divulged, but sources said it was more than the $107K she would have made during the 2015 WNBA season.
“The year-round nature of women’s basketball takes its toll, and the financial opportunity with my team in Russia would have been irresponsible to turn down. They offered to pay me to rest, and I’ve decided to take them up on it. I want to be able to take care of myself and my family when I am done playing,” Taurasi wrote to Phoenix Mercury fans.
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UMMC reclaimed the Euroleague title in 2016
The gambit paid off for Taurasi and UMMC as she returned to form and helped UMMC win a fourth straight Russian League title. More importantly, UMMC captured the 2016 women’s Euroleague title, which they last won in 2013. Diana scored 21 and 22 points in the semifinals and finals to earn Euroleague Final Four MVP honors.
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A month after playing in Russia, Taurasi returned to the Phoenix Mercury as promised. During the 2016 WNBA season, she averaged 17.8 points and helped the team to a 16-18 record and the 8th spot in the WNBA playoffs. They were able to upset the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty in the first and second round elimination games, respectively, before falling to the defending champions, the Minnesota Lynx, in the semifinals.
After leading UMMC to another Russian title in 2016-17, Taurasi announced her retirement from European competition in December 2017, citing injuries. Meanwhile, Diana played until the 2024 season in the WNBA before calling it a basketball career. Although she will be remembered for her accolades and accomplishments, DT will never be forgotten as the player who was paid to sit out an entire WNBA season.
Related: “Should I get this Louis Vuitton bag that’s $3,000?” – Diana Taurasi recalls buying luxury bags after their Russian team owner let them use his credit card for shopping
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
