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Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer and a six-time Olympic gold medalist, has officially announced her retirement after two decades with the Phoenix Mercury.
In an exclusive interview with Time, the lesbian basketball icon revealed that she knew it was time to step away when she couldn’t bring herself to begin her usual January training regimen.
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“I just didn’t have it in me,” she said. “Mentally and physically, I’m just full. That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy.”
Taurasi’s impact on the game is undeniable. She leaves the league as its all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points—nearly 3,000 more than the next closest player—while also holding the record for the most three-pointers made. A three-time WNBA champion, she helped transform women’s basketball with her undeniable skill, competitive fire, and signature swagger.
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“You can’t tell the story of the WNBA without Diana,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said elsewhere in the Time piece. “She helped build the league into what it is today.”
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Known for her confidence and trash talk, Taurasi’s journey to basketball greatness started in Chino, California, where her parents, Argentinian and Italian immigrants, sacrificed to support her love of the game. She went on to win three consecutive NCAA championships at UConn under coach Geno Auriemma, who famously called her “the Babe Ruth of women’s basketball.”
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“I wish I had $1 for every time I heard a guy say, ‘She’s the only reason I would ever watch a women’s basketball game,’” Auriemma told Time. “She had the ability to bring people to the game.”
Adding to that, longtime teammate Sue Bird said, “The more you piss her off, the better she plays.”
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Taurasi’s career stretched far beyond the WNBA, with international dominance in Russia, Turkey, and six Olympic gold medals. As she steps away from the court, she looks forward to spending more time with her wife, former WNBA star Penny Taylor, and their two children.
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“I’m definitely retired,” she confirmed. “I’m going to miss the competition… the inside jokes… the bus rides… All those things, I’ll deeply miss.”
Taurasi leaves behind a legacy of grit, skill, and unmatched leadership that will continue to inspire generations of players to come.
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