“If this is it.” That was the theme of the last home game for the Phoenix Mercury this season. Their veteran Diana Taurasi, after announcing her retirement from Team USA, is now on the verge of possibly calling it a day for the WNBA as well. Though the 6x Olympic gold medalist had previously, during the Olympics, stated that it is a little “disrespectful” to ask her the inevitable question, she couldn’t ward off the retirement buzz this time. And with her inching closer to what could allegedly be her last postseason appearance, the media stalwarts have revealed what the 3x WNBA Champion might end up doing after retiring.

Gary Striewski, on the ‘Elle Duncan Show’ on Thursday, spontaneously revealed what could be Taurasi’s next steps after bidding her final adieu to the W. Though fans initially did not believe what Striewski had to say, they looked excited about the 2009 WNBA MVP’s future plans. “And soon to be joining a WNBA countdown desk in a seat near Elle. Hey, that’s for sure,” Striewski stated while discussing Taurasi’s future possibilities.

The Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts, along with his mentees Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud, and Sophie Cunningham, convinced the 42-year-old to take the court during the fourth quarter. Initially reluctant to step on the hardwood, Taurasi graced the court when the rising “DT” chants from the spectators touched her. Receiving a standing ovation from the ‘X-Factor’, the only W player to have touched the 10,000 points mark became emotional as her fans requested her for “one more year.”

Since Tibbetts had compelled DT to go into the game to honor her, she was soon subbed out in the fourth quarter as the game proceeded toward the result. Nonetheless, the applause for the Mercury veteran murmured through the Footprint Center. And this is what a lot of fans and media personalities regard as the final goodbye to the former UConn star, which also opens up the debate regarding her future plans.

Though Taurasi hasn’t hosted a podcast till now, her show “The Bird & Taurasi Show,” has garnered a lot of attention for providing alternate play-by-play proceedings with a twist of humor. The program has become a fan favorite so much so that she also made her NBA debut during the Christmas game between the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks last year, which was aired on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Hence, given her proximity to ESPN, she may star in the ‘WNBA Countdown’ alongside Duncan, who is one of the best sports anchors in the USA. But the main question is if she is ready to hang her boots.

Diana Taurasi shares her take on retirement

Taurasi had signed a 2-year contract with the Mercury before the 2023 season worth $469,872. Thus, next year she would be a free agent and hence the possibility of her retirement only grows as she has spent her entire career with the Phoenix-based franchise, and what better way to leave than ending her career with them? During an interview in 2022, the California-born had divulged that once she retires then “you’re not gonna see me anymore.”

This has somewhat made fans not believe in what Striewski had to say about Taurasi. Furthermore, she herself is not sure, as of now, if this will be her last elimination series.

Talking about the possibility of retiring, Taurasi enunciated that she feels on some days “I could still do this.” But then there are moments when “I’m crawling out of bed and that’s, I guess, a struggle you have when you get to this point in your career.” Concluding the chat, she expressed that “once the season’s over, I’ll have a better idea.”

But should Taurasi take over the role of a W analyst once she’s done? Only time will tell what the consensus GOAT decides to do. But one thing just might be sure: She will not abandon the league or the Phoenix Mercury franchise.