Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi retires after 20 seasons in WNBA

• Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi announced her retirement after 20 seasons in the WNBA. She is the league’s all-time leading scorer.
• Taurasi won three NCAA championships, three WNBA championships, six Olympic gold medals and six Euroleague championships.
• The 42-year-old hinted at retirement after the season ended in September but did not confirm anything then.

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Diana Taurasi, perhaps the greatest women’s basketball player of all time, has decided to call it a career. After 20 years in the WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury star retired Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 25.

Messages of congratulations from around the sports world continue to be posted on social media. NBA superstar LeBron James said Taurasi, the women’s all-time leading scorer, “transcended the game.”

Was her retirement a surprise?

Her accomplishments are at the top of any list, men or women. Taurasi’s retirement wasn’t a complete shock. A 14-time All-Star and 2009 league most valuable player, she discussed it with the Phoenix Mercury before their season ended in September, though she didn’t confirm anything then.

“I’m grateful they’re able to have these conversations and let me do it the way I want to do it, which I’ve talked to a lot of people, and someone once told me you don’t get to pick your ending sometimes,” Taurasi said after the regular season finale. “So, when it ends, it ends, 20 years later or whatever it may be. It’s been a fun ride.”

How many championships did Taurasi win?

The one thing Taurasi would love to be remembered for is simply being a winner and a great teammate. She’s known as the “Greatest of All Time” because very few in the game have a championship list quite like she does.

Every team she played on won multiple trophies, starting with her three NCAA titles at UConn. Then, three in the WNBA, in 2007 and 2009, and the last in 2014.

She has six Olympic gold medals, the most in Olympic basketball history. Three FIBA World Cup Championships, and during her WNBA offseason, Taurasi won six Euroleague championships.

What’s being said about Taurasi?

Commissioner Cathy Englebert issued a statement on behalf of the WNBA.

“Diana Taurasi is one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage,” Englebert wrote. “In a record-setting career that saw her play 20 seasons, score more points and make more three-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she has earned the unquestioned respect of players around the globe, delivered electrifying moments and captivated fans again and again. On behalf of the WNBA family, I thank Diana for everything that she has brought to the WNBA – her passion, her charisma and, most of all, her relentless dedication to the game. She leaves a lasting legacy, and the future of the WNBA is in a great position because of her impact, that will be felt for generations to come.”

Her college coach Geno Auriemma, who will welcome Taurasi into the Basketball Hall of Fame four years from now, may have said it best in his statement.

“Diana had as much to do with changing women’s basketball as anyone who’s ever played the game,” Auriemma wrote. “In my opinion, what the greats have in common is they transcend the sport and become synonymous with the sport. For as long as people talk about college basketball, WNBA basketball, Olympic basketball: Diana is the greatest winner in the history of basketball, period. I’ve had the pleasure of being around her for a lot of those moments, and she’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever coached. I’m happy for her and her family. At the same time, I’m sad that I’ll never get to see her play again, but I saw more than most.”