• Slug: Sports–Taurasi Final. 1,156 words.
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By Connor Moreno
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The outcome of Thursday’s Phoenix Mercury regular-season finale against the Seattle Storm at Footprint Center didn’t matter.

The playoff-bound Mercury lost 89-70, but scenes from the stands suggested otherwise. Handmade signs in the crowd reading, “DT, we’re NOT ready” and “If this is it, I might cry” perfectly evoked the collective feeling of fans attending what could have been Mercury guard Diana Taurasi’s last home game.

As the Mercury’s ‘If this is it’ campaign implied, the night was supposed to be a celebration, a chance to honor the greatest player to grace the WNBA. But the night was an emotional rollercoaster. Fans were just as prepared to say goodbye as they were ready to chant, “One more year!” every chance they could.

From the signs to the endless Taurasi jerseys found in the stands and on the court, worn by Mercury players during warmups, and poignant tribute videos played during every break, the atmosphere inside the arena felt like the beginning of the end to Taurasi’s legendary career in the Valley after 20 WNBA seasons.

“It’s not easy,” Taurasi said of the emotion she felt from fans, family and friends in attendance. “I wasn’t trying to fight any type of emotion or feel a certain way, I just kind of took it all in. It’s just a lot of memories that go through your mind. The good ones. The bad ones.

“More than anything, just really grateful to have really good people around me my whole career and going forward.”
Taurasi’s closest circle, including her parents, wife Penny Taylor, children Leo and Isla, as well as close friends and mentors Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Geno Auriemma, were all in attendance.

Few people remain by a person’s side from the start of a journey to its end, like Taurasi’s parents, Mario and Liliana. Taurasi credits them for giving her the freedom to explore and find her greatness.

“My family’s been there since day one,” Taurasi said. “What they did was they let me do what I wanted to do. And that’s a lesson as a parent that a lot of us can take. When someone wants to do (something) really bad, that’s when great things happen. Not when you’re being pushed and ushered a certain direction. They always let me be myself.
“I don’t have a big circle, it’s a small circle, but they were all there today. That was pretty cool.”

Drafted by the Mercury in 2004 after a decorated collegiate career at UConn under Auriemma, Taurasi never thought that a 20-year WNBA career was possible, much less with the same franchise the whole time.

Fast forward to 2024, and Phoenix is her home. It’s where she reached the pinnacle of women’s basketball and found love. For that, she is forever grateful.

“I built a life here. I built a family; a home,” Taurasi said. “This place has given me so many amazing relationships that I’ll take with me forever. Whether I come back next year or not, I’ll always be a part of this franchise.”

Taurasi’s relationship with Phoenix was symbiotic. She played with 143 different teammates and had eight different coaches throughout her 20-year career.

Whether she played hundreds of games with teammates, like Brittney Griner, or only a handful, like Mercury forward Monique Billings who signed with Phoenix on Aug. 18; or was coached by someone like Sandy Brondello for eight seasons or current coach Nate Tibbetts for one, Taurasi left a lasting impression on each person that she came across.

“She has so much gravity around her,” Billings said. “Being around her, I just want to be the best version of myself, and she’s just so cool, so down to earth. One of the coolest human beings that I’ve ever met.”

Tibbetts, who finished his first year with the Mercury with a 19-21 regular season record, added, “I didn’t know when coming here if this was going to be her last year or not, but I knew that (she) was going to make me better. I’m so thankful that I’ve gotten to have this year with her and see how she processes things and her approach. I’m excited that my little girls have gotten the opportunity to see her play. I’m glad I walked into this situation.”

Taurasi’s potential departure makes the Mercury’s forthcoming playoff run more meaningful. If she is indeed retiring, a fourth WNBA championship would be a fitting end.

Phoenix won its third championship in 2014. Since then, the Mercury have made the playoffs all but once (2023). Their last and only Finals appearance in that span was in 2021, when they lost to the Chicago Sky in four games. The Mercury, seeded No. 7, face the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the best-of-three series beginning Sunday in Minneapolis.

Putting forth a roster capable of competing for a championship was at the forefront of Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren’s mindset when he was appointed the position at the end of last season, according to Tibbetts. Their collective goal is to build for the future while also giving Taurasi a chance to win a title while she’s still here.

Taurasi thinks the organization is in a great state moving forward – from ownership down to the roster.

“I think the tide turned when Mat (Ishbia) and Josh (Bartelstein) stepped into the picture,” Taurasi said. “They completely changed how people feel about this franchise. I think it’s brought a different vision to our team going into the future.

“(Natasha Cloud), (Kahleah Copper) and (Rebecca Allen) are a big part of the future going forward. What (Griner has) been able to do here for the last 13 years, she’s going to step into the role of really being the person who represents this franchise. I think Sophie (Cunningham) has really stepped up into that leadership role. I think we’re in a good place going forward regardless.”

While Taurasi referenced the future multiple times in her postgame interview, she never fully declared whether she would be a part of it or not.

An arena-shaking “DT” chant prompted Tibbetts to substitute her in and out of the game for possibly one last time. Speaking to the fans postgame after sitting through a tribute video, she prefaced every statement with, “If this is it,” much to the dismay of the fans hanging on her every word.

Truth is, Taurasi has never been one for an overblown farewell tour or the unwanted attention. She plays basketball, keeps her circle small and cares about what would benefit her family the most. So, naturally, it’s hard for her to make this decision.

But being the showwoman that has defined her career, she can’t help but entertain.

“I have to take a step back and think about what’s next in my future, I have to think about my family,” Taurasi said. “So, as soon as we win this championship, the decision will come quick.”

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