Three-time WNBA champions and two-time WNBA Finals MVP Diana Taurasi announced their retirement from professional basketball on Tuesday.
Taurasi, 42, played for the WNBA for 20 years and spent every season of his career with Phoenix Mercury.
“I’m just full, both mentally and physically,” Taurasi said on time. “That’s probably the best way I can explain it. I’m full and happy.”
“Diana Taurasi is one of the greatest competitors to play a basketball game on any stage,” WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert said in a statement. “In her recordset career, where she played 20 seasons and scored more points and three-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she has unquestioned respect for players all over the world. It won and again provided touching moments and seductive fans. “
Taurasi was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft after a highly skilled college career with the Connecticut Husky. Taurasi is a three-time NCAA champion and the best player in two NCAA tournaments, and has entered the pro ranks.
In his fourth season with Mercury, Taurasi averaged 19.9 points per game in the postseason as he helped lead the Phoenix to its first WNBA championship. She led her team to two more championships in 2009 and 2014, earning the final MVP every time.
One of the best offensive players in the game, Tuarasi will retire as the WNBA’s all-time leader in several scoring categories, including points, field goals, free throws and three-pointers.
In addition to her WNBA career, Taurashi has played several seasons overseas, winning six Euroleague Championships, seven Russian National League Championships and the Turkish National League Championships.
As a member of the US Women’s National Basketball Team, Taurasi has won six consecutive Olympic gold medals. She never lost a game during the Olympics in her time representing her country.
“I’ll come in and have my score record or six gold medals, the same hunger, the same addiction as basketball, and put those records in a different way, under different names,” Taurasi told Time. “That’s what sports are all about. It’s fun to watch. Hopefully soon.”
