Diana Taurasi is one of the greatest basketball players of her generation. But the 20-year WNBA veteran has yet to make a decision about her basketball future.
If Taurasi decides to step away from the WNBA, she will leave with three league championships, a pair of WNBA Finals MVP trophies and 11 All-Star appearances. She also won three NCAA Division I titles during her storied run with the UConn Huskies.
This week, the future Hall of Famer said she’ll take some time before deciding if she’ll play another season.
“I don’t take retirement lightly. 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,” Taurasi told The Associated Press. “I talk to (wife) Penny (Taylor) and the Mercury, so I’m still in the thought process.”
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Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi catches a pass during warmups Sept. 19, 2024, at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Owen Ziliak/The Republic/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Taurasi, who has spent her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury, last played in late September. The Minnesota Lynx eliminated the Mercury from the playoffs Sept. 25.
“I have not taken (retirement) lightly. I think about it every day. 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,” Taurasi said. “And, you know, sometimes when the season ends, the last thing you want to think about is the next season.”
Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) smiles after hitting a 3-pointer Sept. 19, 2024, at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Owen Ziliak/The Republic/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Taurasi likes the moves the team made last offseason, adding Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper, which she said made the team into a potential championship contender. In July, the Mercury unveiled a $100 million training center. The state-of-the-art complex features two basketball courts named after Taurasi.
“I do think with the additions (on court) we made and in the front office, we’ll be there for a long time,” she said. “You know those are my sisters. I’ve gone through a lot with them. So, you know, I’ll chat with them. It’s a lot to process the season as a whole.”
The Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi celebrates after scoring her 10,000th career point during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Dream Aug. 3, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Whenever she does decide to retire, Taurasi is intrigued by the idea of getting involved with ownership of a team.
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“I definitely love the idea of being able to have a position where, obviously, you influence a team,” she said. “But more than that, just being around (owner) Mat (Ishbia) for a little bit, just seeing how he’s influenced this whole city and change the energy of what an owner can do to really the outlook of a city, the feeling of a city. The things to which he’s done with the team, it’s really the next step, I think, for female athletes.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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