In recent years, the question had been posed to Diana Taurasi in various forms: When would she retire from basketball? Playing into her 40s, when would she finally hang up her shoes? Throughout her illustrious two-and-a-half-decade career in college and professional basketball, she answered these questions with her characteristic wit and edge. She would retire when she was ready, and the rest of the world would find out soon after. At the Olympics this summer, where she made her sixth Team USA roster, she was asked again about retirement. “Only a woman would have 20 years of experience,” she said, “and it’s an Achilles’ heel instead of something that is treasured.”
Taurasi responded earnestly to these inquiries, making it clear that while retirement wasn't something she ignored, she simply didn’t feel it was her next step yet. However, reality loomed. In recent years, she had changed her diet and recovery routine, openly discussing the effort required to stay in the game and how that effort felt like work. But her love for the game was evident, especially on the floor. Few others played with as much joy as Taurasi, even into Year 22 in the league. Her enthusiasm was palpable during layup lines and in her interactions with teammates and coaches, reminding everyone of the California kid who arrived in Storrs, Conn., in 2000.
On Tuesday afternoon, as many people were getting off work, Taurasi announced her retirement. Media outlets received an email filled with quotes, a story was published in Time, and an announcement was made for her appearance on “The View,” the popular ABC talk show. This announcement was quintessential Taurasi — expected yet unconventional, understated yet obvious, with a hint of tongue-in-cheek humor. Her play on the court often came with a knowing wink; she was the ultimate guard, always a step ahead.
In the Time article, Taurasi revealed that she knew she was ready to leave the game on New Year’s Day. “Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” she said. “That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy.” Few have had fuller careers than Taurasi. She won three WNBA titles, six Olympic gold medals, three NCAA championships, and six EuroLeague titles. She was the first player in WNBA history to score 10,000 points and possibly the first to be called for 122 technical fouls. In between, there were individual records, accolades, WNBA All-Star appearances, and an MVP season.
As the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick in 2004, Taurasi earned $40,800 in her rookie season. She leaves behind a league that recently signed a landmark $2 billion media rights deal and is on the cusp of a potentially groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement. Her play and the attention she brought to the game helped foster that growth. Her competitiveness was unmatched, drawing fans into the game. Her ability to make even those she tormented on the floor love her made her a must-watch. “There were times when I wanted to fight her,” said Aces coach Becky Hammon, who played against Taurasi for ten seasons in the WNBA and coached against her since 2022. “And then she’d be like, ‘Do you wanna grab a beer?'”
Three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum once recalled her rookie season when Taurasi cozied up to her during an out-of-bounds play and said, “Hey Plummy, good to see you,” before elbowing her and hitting a shot. Then Taurasi turned around and winked at Plum. During a 2022 Storm-Mercury game, after forcing a jump ball, Taurasi and her best friend Sue Bird (in Bird’s final season) stood bickering in the paint about potential fouls.
Taurasi’s absence from the upcoming WNBA season will feel strange. She has been part of the league for nearly as long as it has existed. Some players drafted this year were born just before Taurasi’s rookie debut in Phoenix. Her play inspired many kids to pick up a basketball, and her likeness—many assume the WNBA logo is based on her iconic bun—is ingrained in the W’s branding. However, the signs of her impending retirement were evident. Leading up to her final home game last season, the Mercury promoted shirts and memorabilia reading, “If this is it.” There was a tribute video. Although she didn’t know then that it was truly the end, it felt close.
This offseason, Taurasi's longtime teammate and close friend Brittney Griner signed with the Atlanta Dream, signaling a breakup of the band. It seemed unlikely if Taurasi planned to stay another year. Her retirement is especially significant as other WNBA greats like Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and Candace Parker have also recently retired. The league is turning over to a new generation, running a path paved by greats like Taurasi.
As Taurasi said, she leaves the game because she feels full and happy. After a career with ups and downs, injuries, and at least one broken door, that seems like a win. Leaving on her terms makes it perfectly Dee. In her first WNBA season, she was selected for the 2004 Olympic roster as the team’s youngest player. She asked then-coach Van Chancellor what he needed from her, and he told her that—with veteran players like Dawn Staley on the team—he needed Taurasi to act like the rookie she was, and she readily agreed. Yet, in her first Olympic game with that team, she showed up with two left shoes, a true rookie move that might've sent any other player back to the U.S., if it weren’t Diana.
In her final WNBA season, she welcomed iconic rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to the league. They’re part of the new wave of players who’ve had opportunities she never did but who have them—in part—because of how Taurasi helped grow the game. In her last game, she fouled out, a moment that felt fitting. She knows she’ll miss the competition and being a teammate. The league, her teammates, and her opponents will certainly miss her too. She looks forward to spending time with her wife, Penny, and taking her two kids to school. There will be no long run-up to the season with hours spent preparing to compete for 30-plus games. Life will be drastically different this summer, but she’s ready for whatever it might bring. Twenty years in professional sports can prepare athletes for the unknown and unexpected.
What 20 years might not prepare an athlete for is saying goodbye, sometimes the hardest thing for someone with her competitive drive. But like much of Taurasi’s career, she managed an exit everyone saw coming but still caught us by surprise. It’s her final elbow to the stomach and a wink as she runs down the floor. It all feels very Diana.
(Photo: David Sherman / NBAE via Getty Images)
