All good things must come to an end.
Diana Taurasi, who is the WNBA’s leading scorer, announced her retirement on Tuesday to Time magazine.
Taurasi stepped away from basketball after 20 seasons, including a remarkable tenure with the Phoenix Mercury with whom she played for her entire WNBA career.
During Taurasi’s trailblazing professional run, she scored 10,646 points, becoming the league’s all-time leader in points through 565 regular season games only player in WNBA history to pass the 10,000 scoring mark. She scored another 1,476 points in 72 playoff appearances.
Taurasi’s accolades include league MVP in 2009, 14 All-WNBA selections and five WNBA scoring titles.
She also helped the Mercury secure three championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014 — capturing Finals MVP honors in 2009 and 2014.
In August, Taurasi won her sixth Olympic gold medal with Team USA, becoming the first basketball player to reach that mark.
Voted the WNBA “GOAT” by fans in 2021, Taurasi’s milestones, championships and numbers certainly live up to the nickname.
Here’s how the sports world reacted to Taurasi’s retirement.
Franchise bids farewell
Taurasi was drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. In her first season, she averaged 17 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists and was named Rookie of the Year.
She didn’t just wear the jersey – she built our franchise.
She played the game, then changed it forever.Thank you will never be enough. But it’s a start 💜 pic.twitter.com/X34bgGBWqv
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 25, 2025
perioDT. pic.twitter.com/cQOdpkTQya
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 25, 2025
Some players build a legacy with multiple franchises. Goats cement theirs with one. pic.twitter.com/ICQzUg05Dk
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 25, 2025
The greatest to ever do it. pic.twitter.com/7Ba42NIp2Z
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 25, 2025
Mercury forever 🧡 pic.twitter.com/m62aNWMR5S
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 25, 2025
Sports world gives Taurasi her flowers
Taurasi’s prolific time in the WNBA followed an outstanding college career with the UConn Huskies, where she won three consecutive national titles from 2002 to 2004. She finished with a 22-1 record in the NCAA tournament during her time in Storrs.
“I have never, ever heard her say a negative word about a teammate, at UConn, the Olympic team, Phoenix,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “But I could say to her, ‘Dee, that was the worst god-damned pass I’ve ever seen in my life.’ If I said that to someone else, they might say, ‘Why are you disrespecting me?’ With her, she never took it personally. She already knew it was a bad pass and she needed to make it better. She wanted to be coached like that.”
Taurasi’s UConn and Olympic teammate Sue Bird said that “She has a way of making people feel connected to her, but also like the best version of themselves.”
After 20 years of playing in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is officially retiring 🧡
Thank you Diana for changing the game forever, all of the accolades could never amount to the type of person and edge you embodied when you stepped out there on the court
One-of-One 💐 pic.twitter.com/dEtE4NDrGH
— WNBA (@WNBA) February 25, 2025
From one all-time leading scorer to another 🫡
(via @TIME) pic.twitter.com/4JtYHAMmxB
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 25, 2025
An American basketball icon. Thank you, Diana. pic.twitter.com/BzFsyvJwIN
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) February 25, 2025
No words needed for her impact on the game.
Congrats on an unmatched career, Dee 💙 pic.twitter.com/felfdiA1Dz
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 25, 2025
One of the all-time greats 🙌
Congrats, @DianaTaurasi! https://t.co/MkPoJjRuhz
— NBA (@NBA) February 25, 2025
I will have more to say, but for now… THANK YOU DIANA!! 🐐🐐🐐🐐
*standing ovation* https://t.co/zzrMImKV1J— Ros Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) February 25, 2025
The Greatest of All-Time.
Thank you, Dee, for everything you did for The Valley and the game of basketball 💜🧡 pic.twitter.com/ZSBT407g0O
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 25, 2025
Rookie 🤝 Vet
Never forget Cam & DT’s meeting after a game. 💛 pic.twitter.com/lD5bSjmUjV
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) February 25, 2025
One of the greatest to ever do it. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter, @DianaTaurasi 💜 https://t.co/WCSAMufJs5
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) February 25, 2025
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