How to Say Goodbye to a GOAT: Diana Taurasi Retires

The future of women’s basketball is brighter than ever. The 2024 NCAA Division I championship game smashed records, amassing a peak of 24 million viewers. Young stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers have garnered media attention to the scene like never before, and the new Unrivaled League, co-created by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, has seen revenue skyrocket through big-name brand deals. But amidst all of this newness, women’s basketball now has to say goodbye to one of its brightest stars, Diana Taurasi.

There’s no Michael Jordan-LeBron James debate here: Diana Taurasi is undoubtedly the GOAT when it comes to the women’s game. In addition to being the literal WNBA logo, she has racked up countless achievements across her professional career. No one comes close to her six Olympic gold medals, three WNBA championships, three NCAA championships, 11 WNBA All-Star selections, five times leading the WNBA in scoring, 2009 WNBA MVP award, and more than 10,000 career points. For reference, no other player in the league has ever even cracked 8,000. There simply is no other female player who can rival her basketball resume, and there might never be one again. But while Taurasi’s stats and accolades speak to her skill as a player, her real impact on the sport lies in her character and the legacy she leaves behind.

After graduating from UConn in 2004, Taurasi spent all 20 years of her professional career with the Phoenix Mercury, displaying dedication not only to her team but to one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire WNBA. Her fiery, win-first mentality defined these two decades’ worth of success while painting her as an on-court villain. She even earned the nickname “White Mamba” from the late Kobe Bryant, an alias that garnered enough public attention to be the name of a key antagonist in the 2021 Space Jam remake, played by Taurasi herself. While biased viewers might be tempted to call the women’s players “soft,” Taurasi has more than proven otherwise. Taurasi is notorious for her trash-talking abilities, offering rookies countless “welcome to the league” moments and teammates fuel during intense games. But her most iconic smack talk moment came during the 2016 Olympics. Basketball fanatics know Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green as the NBA’s biggest incendiary, but Taurasi absolutely obliterated him at the Rio games. Surrounded by the United States’ biggest basketball stars, Taurasi famously quipped, “Hey, Draymond, how does it feel to be the only person in this room who's never been double-teamed?" It’s honestly a shocker that Green was able to go on to compete afterward.

Despite her standoffish nature on the court, Taurasi’s compassion towards both her teammates and competitors has inspired professional and aspiring athletes alike. Alongside fellow UConn superstars Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, she headlines the Husky Legends Basketball Camp that offers children ages six to 16 the chance to learn from the best. As Bird said in an interview with ESPN, “She has a way of making people feel connected to her, but also like the best version of themselves.” Taurasi may be retiring, but there’s no doubt that she will continue to influence the basketball world through these connections.

As for the future of the Mercury and the rest of the WNBA, fans are in for a treat with a slew of incoming young players and the addition of at least four confirmed expansion teams across the next few years. More players than ever are inking major shoe deals in a field dominated by men, WNBA games are being moved into bigger venues due to heightened ticket sales, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are sure to thrust the women’s game even further into the spotlight. But none of this would be possible without Taurasi’s contributions. As NBA commissioner Adam Silver puts it, “You can’t tell the story of the WNBA without Diana.”