When someone thinks of the Phoenix Mercury, Diana Taurasi is probably one of the first players people think of. In fact, Taurasi mentioned in her press conference, “You know when they say my name, I want them to think Phoenix Mercury and vice versa. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” It was announced that Taurasi would continue to play with the Mercury under a 2-year contract with the team.
Retirement could have been on the table for Taurasi, as she is one of the oldest players in the league at 38 years of age. In response to the retirement question, she said, “I didn’t even think about retiring at all.” What is even more impressive is the length of the contract. Taurasi signed a 2-year deal and is chasing another WNBA championship to finish her career with. She doesn’t feel like she is done just yet. “I feel like I still got a lot to prove to myself and my teammates,” Taurasi said. She mentioned she will finally retire “when I don’t have that competitive fire anymore.”
It came as no surprise that Taurasi would re-sign with the Mercury. The Mercury was the first team to reach out and was her first phone call on day one of free agency. Taurasi appreciated how the Mercury treated her like an actual free agent. Phoenix is the only team she has played for in her WNBA career and is the only place she wanted to be. Some of the factors that kept Taurasi excited about the next 2 years with the Mercury is the team’s future vision for her in the organization and the desire to win a championship once again.
Even though 2 or 3 other teams did reach out to Diana through her agent, she is staying in Phoenix for good. During the offseason, Taurasi did think about the idea of moving on from Phoenix but the idea didn’t go far. Her mind always came back to Phoenix, explaining she is “in a serious relationship” with the Mercury. The ‘Mighty Mercury’ will be able to cheer on the leading scorer of the WNBA once again and Taurasi will get to stay with the organization she loves.
