When Kobe Bryant nicknamed Diana Taurasi the “White Mamba,” it wasn’t just a compliment—it was prophecy. Two decades later, the Phoenix Mercury icon didn’t just shatter the WNBA’s scoring record; she redefined what longevity and dominance look like in women’s sports.

Taurasi’s retirement closes a 20-year chapter filled with broken ceilings, from her 2004 Rookie of the Year debut to becoming the first player to hit 10,000 career points. But her legacy isn’t just about numbers. It’s about three WNBA titles, six Olympic gold medals, and a gravitational pull that turned Phoenix into a basketball mecca. Even in her final playoff run—a 2024 first-round exit against Minnesota—she left opponents marveling at her relentless fire.

Phoenix Mercury will always be Diana Taurasi’s town

Taurasi may be stepping off the court, but her legacy in Phoenix is set in stone—literally. In 2017, the city renamed a stretch of road in front of the Mercury’s home arena “Taurasi Way.” That honor came just weeks after she passed Tina Thompson as the WNBA’s all-time scoring leader in 2023.

“The best athlete that we’ve ever had in the Phoenix sports scene is Diana Taurasi,” U.S. Representative Greg Stanton told Sports Illustrated in 2021. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Mercury president Vince Kozar put it even better: “Beyond the highlights and the accolades, Diana Taurasi is loyalty personified. She turned a city she’d never visited into her family’s home, and by virtue of her passion and play, turned legions of girls and boys, men and women into lifelong Mercury fans.”

Last July, the Mercury unveiled a $100 million practice facility, naming both courts in her honor. “The Phoenix Mercury are not the Phoenix Mercury without Diana Taurasi,” said Mercury and Suns owner Mat Ishbia. “She’s a legend of all legends.”

The ultimate scorer: Diana Taurasi

Taurasi’s 10,646 points didn’t happen by accident. Over 565 games—another league record—she averaged 18.8 points on 42.5% shooting. Her range was ridiculous: 1,447 career threes (most in WNBA history), plus an 87% free-throw rate that made her automatic in crunch time.

She led the league in scoring five times between 2006 and 2011, but her 2017 moment—passing Tina Thompson as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer—was pure drama. Then, in 2023, she hit the 10,000-point mark, a nearly impossible feat in a league with a 36-game season. Players like Sue Bird and Maya Moore had legendary careers, but Taurasi was in a different stratosphere.

What made her so unstoppable? A killer instinct honed at UConn, combined with an ability to knock down contested shots or bulldoze her way to the rim. Mercury coach Sandy Brondello once called her “the ultimate cheat code.” Even at 40, she could still torch defenders. Over 20 seasons, she played through WNBA economic struggles, expansion efforts, and billion-dollar media deals—all while staying at the top of her game.

Diana Taurasi is built for the playoffs

If the regular season was her canvas, the playoffs were her masterpiece. Taurasi averaged 20.4 points in 73 postseason games—higher than her regular-season output—shooting 44.6% from the field and 88.2% from the line. Her 1,455 playoff points and 215 postseason threes remain untouched, a testament to her knack for rising when stakes soared.

Take the 2009 Finals: She dropped 26 points per game, including a 28-point closeout performance, to secure her first title and Finals MVP. In 2014, she outdueled Candace Parker’s Sparks with 24.3 PPG in the Finals, proving again that pressure only sharpened her edge. Even in her final playoff series against Minnesota in 2024, the 42-year-old averaged 17 points, refusing to let Father Time check her.

Moreover, In 2005, battling an ankle injury, Taurasi managed to average 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, securing her second straight All-Star appearance. However, Phoenix again missed the playoffs.

Later, the arrival of former NBA coach Paul Westhead in 2006, known for his up-tempo system, transformed Taurasi’s game. Alongside rookie Cappie Pondexter and Penny Taylor, Taurasi thrived, leading the league in scoring and earning her third consecutive All-Star selection.

In 2007, Taurasi finally broke through, leading the Mercury to their first playoff appearance of her career. The team eliminated the Seattle Storm and San Antonio Silver Stars before facing the defending champion Detroit Shock in the Finals.

Numbers tell a story for Diana Taurasi

Taurasi’s records aren’t just numbers—they’re monuments. Consider:

• 10,646 points—Tina Charles, the closest active player, hasn’t hit 8,000.
• 1,447 threes—Second-place Sue Bird (1,001) retired 300 behind.
• 2,517 free throws—No one else has even cracked 2,000.

Her 20-season résumé reads like a basketball almanac: most games (565), most seasons played, and the only player to lead in points, field goals, threes, and free throws. Even her assists (4.2 per game) and rebounds (3.9) defy the “pure scorer” label. She played alongside generations of stars, including Celeste Taylor, who was born just months before Taurasi won her first NCAA title.

Yet her true imprint is cultural. She forced the WNBA to embrace swagger, trash-talking rivals while backing it up nightly. Mercury owner Mat Ishbia didn’t exaggerate when calling her “synonymous with Phoenix.” From “White Mamba” to “GOAT,” her nicknames tell a story—one that’s still being written in the record books.

And do you wanna know a fun Fact: Taurasi’s playoff free-throw percentage (88.2%) tops her regular-season mark—proof that clutch isn’t a moment, it’s a mindset.