If this is it, the Phoenix Mercury will have honored Diana Taurasi in her final game. The previous two weeks the Mercury have teased a possible Taurasi retirement. As the doors opened, waves of Mercury fans filled the seats and cheered for Taurasi for possibly the final time.
On Thursday against the Seattle Storm, head coach Nate Tibbetts spoke pregame about the significance of the game.
“I woke up from my nap and that was my wife’s first question to me,” Tibbetts said. “We want this to be a special night for DT. (In regards to) how many minutes she’ll get if she plays the second half, I think we’re trying to still navigate that.
“The beautiful thing about DT is like she hasn’t made any of this stuff about her. She’s probably pretty annoyed with everything that’s going on. I don’t know if she’s made a decision in her mind. This is her job in front of her. Once the season is over, she’ll re-evaluate but this is probably as close as it’s been for her.”
With a massive amount of media requests for Taurasi since the announcement, everyone was deciphering if Taurasi would confirm her potential retirement. Point guard Natasha Cloud talked about the biggest lesson she’s learned from one of the greatest after their win on Sunday.
“As a teammate, I think the greatest thing that I’m learning from DT is how to lead and how to be a leader,” Cloud said. “She’s the most humble person. I know we all have a little bit of cockiness and swagger to us we have to be great at what we do but DT stops and talks to everyone.
“Any fan that ever comes up to her, she always stops and gives them love and attention and it’s the same thing with us as a teammate. Being able to play alongside her has been a blessing to be a part of her journey and her greatness is a blessing.”
How did the Mercury honor Diana Taurasi in potentially her final game?
The Mercury presented a video of past and current players thanking Taurasi for a variety of things: Changing the game, her relentless pursuit of winning, and her relationships with her teammates. Many called her a pioneer of women’s basketball and specifically the WNBA. Media members from across the WNBA and the sports world all sent Taurasi her flowers.
While the Mercury secured two important wins on the road, Taurasi hinted on Tuesday that the end is near. Although she’s been mysterious about her potential retirement, the team wanted to honor Taurasi on Thursday. She finished the first half with nine points and three made three-pointers.
She checked back into the game after the Phoenix crowd convinced her to do so. Tibbetts spoke on the moment that his star player checked into the game.
“We started to tell her with about seven minutes to go and she did not want to go in,” Tibbetts said, chuckling. “She gave in to the peer pressure from her teammates and coaching staff. In a moment like that, it’s for her but it’s for these people that have supported her for 20 years. I’m glad she decided to do it because that’s something that she deserved for sure.”
She gestured a heart to the crowd. Although it was only for one possession, the Footprint Center roared with chants of “one more year” that resonated through the arena.
Following the game, Taurasi spoke to the entire sold-out crowd about what the city and the fanbase meant to her. With Taurasi’s children by her side, chants of “one more year” rang after her speech. As she made her way to the press conference room, Taurasi elaborated on her mentality in year 20.
Diana Taurasi’s full speech to the Phoenix crowd after possibly her final game. pic.twitter.com/8rFW4E9NPw
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) September 20, 2024
“I just got done talking to BG (Brittney Griner) and I’m like, ‘There’s still days where I can still do this, I still want to play basketball,’” Taurasi said. “Then there’s the flip side where there are days where I’m crawling out of bed and that’s a struggle you have when you get to this point in your career. You have to do so much to be able to get back on the court and it’s bittersweet in a lot of ways.”
Will Taurasi continue the grind of basketball with the Mercury?
Injuries were a concern from 2019-21, as she only played a combined 41 games. However, Taurasi only missed four games this season. She averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and made 2.4 threes a game. Her durability and consistency in her 20th season have left everyone in awe. Tibbetts remained impressed with the former MVP’s work ethic.
“Her repetition, her daily grind, her commitment to her body,” Tibbetts said. “I haven’t been lucky enough to see the progression over the years but I got to see her come in and dedicate her life to her job to be out there. There’s no one close to her age doing the things that she’s doing in our league.”
While the praise flew in from all places on Thursday, Taurasi acknowledged a special group of people. Her family.
“They let me do what I wanted to do and that’s a lesson as a parent that a lot of us can take,” Taurasi said. “When someone wants to do it bad, that’s when great things happen. Not when you’re being pushed and ushered in a certain direction. They always let me be myself.
“When it came to basketball, I can’t tell you how much support I have from my family, extended family, coaches, friends, and ex-teammates. There was something nice about being on the court today and I don’t have a big circle. It’s a small circle, but they were all there today and it was pretty cool.”
Her circle was all present. Teammates and coaches from Don Antonio Lugo High School, UConn, and past Mercury teams were present. Taurasi finished her press conference with “As soon as we win the championship, the decision will come quick.”
Regardless of the claim, the Mercury will begin the quest for a championship against the Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs. Game 1 tips off on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. EST (2:00 p.m. PST) on ESPN.
The post How Mercury went all-out to honor Diana Taurasi before possible retirement appeared first on ClutchPoints.
