WNBA’s oldest player reveals she didn’t consider retirement — and keys to her remarkable longevity

With Diana Taurasi’s retirement now official, Seattle Storm forward Alysha Clark is now the WNBA’s oldest player. Clark, who is 37 years old, spent the last two years with the Las Vegas Aces before returning to the Storm in the offseason.

In an interview with SB Nation last week, Clark revealed the key to her longevity and continued high-level play, noting she never considered retirement this offseason. While she’s only averaged double-digits once in her 12-year WNBA career, she’s managed to keep her production consistent.

In her WNBA career, Clark has averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 48.5% shooting and 38.3% from three. Her numbers last season largely mirror those career averages; she averaged 6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, shooting 44.3% from the field and 37.3% from three. The year prior, she was awarded the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award.

Alysha Clark shares keys to her longevity

Clark told SB Nation that she attributes her ability to extend her career far beyond when most professionals have to two things: her love for the game, and her preparation.

She also noted she’s prioritized recovery, especially in recent years.

“I don’t think it’s emphasized enough,” she said. “When I was coming up through the sport, it was, ‘if you’re not broken, you’re fine’ and understanding as I got, as I’ve gotten older, that that’s actually not the healthiest way to approach it.”

Clark was drafted by the San Antonio Stars in the second round in 2010 and was subsequently waived. She played overseas in Israel, Turkey, and Poland for a few years, before officially beginning her WNBA career with the Seattle Storm in 2012.

She played on the Storm for 9 years, winning two championships (in 2018 and 2020), before signing with the Washington Mystics. After a brief tenure in DC, she joined the Aces, where she won another championship in 2023.

Ahead of the season with the Mystics, she suffered a Lisfranc injury to her right foot while playing overseas in France, which required surgery and kept her out of the 2021 season.

In hindsight, the Storm forward believes that the injury was a blessing in disguise and that the time off was good for her in the long term.

“I think that helped prolong my career, to be honest,” she said. “And I give all the credit to the physical therapists that I worked with in DC during that time — because that’s who did it for me.”

Alysha Clark was a free agent this summer before signing with the Storm

This offseason, Clark explored her options as a free agent. She said she never doubted wanting to continue her WNBA career despite being the oldest player in the league.

“I don’t feel slow in any area,” she said. “My mind is still sharp. My body still feels good before and after games — so I’ll take it.”

Clark isn’t the only impactful 37-year-old in the WNBA. The Indiana Fever’s DeWanna Bonner is also 37, while Sami Whitcomb (Phoenix Mercury), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), and Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky) are all 36 years old. Taurasi, who officially announced her retirement last month, was 42 years old when she decided to hang it up for good.

Clark noted that her longevity is also a result of WNBA teams still wanting her.

“For me, it’s about opportunity as well,” she said. “Like, I’m grateful that teams still want me — and players still want to play with me and see my value. And then, I’m just healthy enough to be able to continue to play at this level. I don’t want to get to a point where I don’t feel like myself. If that’s the case. I’ll definitely know it’s time to walk away.”