A ticket promotion from the Phoenix Mercury has raised some eyebrows about the future of star guard Diana Taurasi’s future in the WNBA. On Monday, the Mercury posted a cryptic video on social media, saying that Phoenix fans only have two more chances to see Taurasi play at home.
The video, which includes images of the 42-year-old guard throughout her career and the words “If This Is It,” heavily implies that this season will be Taurasi’s last. The post draws attention to the final Phoenix home games of the season, which both take place in September.
Taurasi signed a two-year contract ahead of the 2023 season, making her a free agent at the end of this season. Taurasi was drafted first overall by Phoenix in 2004, and has spent her entire career with the Mercury; if she were to retire, it would make sense for her to do so in a Mercury uniform.
Taurasi, who at 42 years old is the oldest active player in the league, has long put off rumors of retirement, but has been clear about how she would want a retirement to go.
In 2022, she maintained that she planned on “playing for a while,” but said that if she did stop, she wouldn’t have a slow exit.
“I’ll let you guys know when I’m done because you’re not gonna see me anymore,” Taurasi told ESPN in 2022. “When I’m done playing, I’m just going to stop playing. I’m not going to ease my way out. I want to play, and when I suck, I won’t play. Trust me, I’ll be in those workouts in the winter and be like, ‘Hmm, that’s it.’ ”
In July, ahead of Taurasi’s appearance in the 2024 Paris Olympics, the guard joked to reporters that they would see her in LA in 2028 “on the beach with a beer” — indicating at minimum that Paris would be her last Olympics. Taurasi, who is one of only three people to represent Team USA at six or more Olympics, won her sixth gold medal in Paris.
The 11-time WNBA All-Star has had another standout year so far, averaging 15.1 points, four rebounds and 3.3 assists. (Taurasi also continued her proud tradition of leading the league in technical fouls, tying Mercury teammate Natasha Cloud for the lead with seven so far this season.)
If the Mercury’s implications are correct, Taurasi will only have four regular-season games left in a Phoenix uniform, with two home games: September 13 vs. the Connecticut Sun and September 19 vs. the Seattle Storm.
Phoenix currently sits seventh in the WNBA standings, meaning that a playoff spot is within reach, which could extend Taurasi’s season a little longer. However, the Mercury would get a lower seed in the playoffs, which means that a home playoff game is unlikely.