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Diana Taurasi’s possible last game of the regular season was emotional, but no announcement of her retirement
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Diana Taurasi’s possible last game of the regular season was emotional, but no announcement of her retirement

Phoenix Mercury defenseman Diana Taurasi (3) claps her teammates' hands during player introductions before a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Diana Taurasi has not yet confirmed whether she will retire after this season. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

We don’t know for sure if Diana Taurasi is retiring.

We know the Phoenix Mercury’s final game of the season against the Seattle Storm on Thursday felt a little different. We know everyone in the crowd received a special T-shirt with the words “If this is it.” We know the Mercury had a special video prepared to honor Taurasi at the end of the game. We know Taurasi checked in to a standing ovation in the final minutes. And we know Taurasi had some kind words for the crowd in return when it was all over.

But we don’t know for sure if she’s retiring.

The Mercury certainly acted as if the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer had just played her final game of the regular season, an 89-70 loss to the Seattle Storm in a game that had no bearing on her playoff position.

Taurasi finished the game with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting and two assists. She left in the third quarter when Phoenix trailed by 14 points and did not return until late in the fourth quarter, at the request of the Footprint Center crowd, which chanted “DT.”

Smiling and shaking her head, Taurasi waved to the crowd before checking in.

When the game was over, the Mercury crowd chanted “One more year” to Taurasi, 42. Soon after, they watched the Mercury’s tribute video, which featured Taurasi’s wife Penny Taylor, agent Lindsay Colas, teammate Brittney Griner and sister Jessika Taurasi.

Taurasi then addressed the crowd and gave a speech that certainly sounded like a farewell speech, but again, we don’t know for sure:

“There’s really no place to start, but there’s always a place to stop. It seems to be the same place and as you know, when I came here in 2004, I knew I was going to be here for a long time. I felt like this was my home in some weird and mysterious way. The people here, the city and when I think back over the 20 years and what we’ve accomplished as a franchise, hanging banners in the stands, knowing every single night when we came into this building, knowing you had our backs.

“I want to thank every single coach, every single player, every single person that has worn a WNBA jersey because it takes a village and our league is about supporting each other and giving back in return. When you see where we are now, 28 years later, for those that played before us, this league is where it is now. We’re thankful for you guys and we’re thankful for the next generation.

“If it’s the last time, it felt like the first time.”

The crowd interrupted Taurasi when she first said, “If it’s the last time.” Taurasi responded with her typical dry humor and a dig at her former UConn teammate Sue Bird, who retired two years ago and was in attendance: “I think they tricked Sue one last time with that.”

If Taurasi does indeed retire—and we don’t know yet!—she will get at least one more chance to play in front of the Phoenix crowd next Friday when the Mercury host the Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 of their first-round series.

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