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Arguably the greatest women’s basketball player in the history of the sport isn’t sure if she will hang up the sneakers ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.
“I don’t take retirement lightly,” Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi told Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press on Tuesday. “I know the minute I say it or announce it, whether it’s, you know, in a month or two months, I’m going to mean it. I talk to (wife) Penny (Taylor) and the Mercury, so I’m still in the thought process.”
Taurasi first became a household name during her collegiate career when she led the UConn Huskies to three national titles as a three-time All-American and two-time Naismith Award winner.
Phoenix selected her with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft, and the rest is history.
Her WNBA resume includes three championships, two WNBA Finals MVP awards, the 2009 league MVP, five scoring titles, the 2004 Rookie of the Year, 14 All-WNBA selections and 11 All-Star Game nods.
Nobody in league history has more points (10,646), field goals (3,341), made three-pointers (1,447) and made free throws (2,517). She is also fourth all-time in assists (2,394) and second all-time in games (565) and minutes played (17,322).
Taurasi could pass former college teammate Sue Bird in games (580) and minutes (18,080) if she returned for the 2025 campaign.
“I have not taken it lightly. I think about it every day,” Taurasi said of potential retirement. “You know, I’m still in deep thought about it. I want to make the right decision, you know, and I’m just taking my time a little bit. And, you know, sometimes when the season ends, the last thing you want to think about is the next season.”
She was still effective in 2024 at age 42 as an All-Star who averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while helping lead the Mercury to the playoffs. Taurasi was also a member of the United States women’s basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won her sixth gold medal.
There is no doubting her place in basketball history as an all-time great, but she still might look to add to her legacy in 2025.
