Diana Taurasi has potentially played the final game of her illustrious 21-year WNBA career tonight. The Phoenix Mercury was hinting at this retirement possibility with one game left in the regular season. Though the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer hasn’t officially hung up her boots yet, everything hints at the inevitable. However, it is very unfortunate that the 3x WNBA champ graced the court as a professional player for the last time in a losing cause.

In Game 2 of the first-round matchup against the Minnesota Lynx, the Phoenix Mercury struggled worse than Game 1. Naphessa Collier, who scored a career-high 38 to drown the Mercury in Game 1, one-upped herself with 42 points tonight. The Mercury had simply no answer to this as their 2024 season ended with an 88-101 loss. Diana Taurasi, who scored 21 points in Game 1, including five 3s, managed to drop only 10 points tonight.

However, that wasn’t what the fans at the Target Center focused on. Placards with tributes to the WNBA legend consumed the crowd. When Taurasi fouled out with 2:34 left and returned to the bench, a massive standing ovation graced her. It was as if the fans knew what the Mercury Guard had decided about 2025 and her WNBA future. A wave of emotion flowed through her mind as she soaked in the honor while walking to the bench.

The ovation resonated through the arena and continued for over 30 seconds before the Lynx began their next play. Once the fans in person cherished the moment of bidding a legend of the game goodbye, social media homages took over.

Nike leads the way as the Phoenix Mercury continues Diana Taurasi’s farewell campaign

It won’t be an easy offseason for Mercury fans. Diana Taurasi’s imminent retirement will leave a void in the heart of the league, but as fans, the best we can do is make sure she gets a fitting farewell. Her team of 21 years, who drafted her first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft, is making sure to bid the 6x Olympic gold winner goodbye on a high.

The Phoenix Mercury, who teased Taurasi’s retirement in the regular season with a “If this is it…” post on X, continued the campaign after she fouled out in their last 2024 game. With 2:34 remaining in the final quarter and Phoenix down 84-98, Taurasi was called for an offensive foul, which turned out to be her 6th of the game and she fouled out. She ended the night with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Nike Basketball built on the Mercury’s tagline with a smart and heartfelt caption, aptly encapsulating Taurasi’s legendary exploits on the biggest stage in league basketball. “D, if this is the last time, it was once in a lifetime.” Taurasi teamed up with Nike almost two decades ago and had two shoe releases in 2005 and 2006. While there has been nothing since then, the respect is definitely there.

Taurasi is the only WNBA player to score 10,000+ points. Moreover, even in her supposedly final season, she showed no signs of slowing down, averaging 14.9 points. A graphic by The Sporting News showing all her trophies on an open display cabinet will give you goosebumps.

ESPN was prompter than ever as they shared a career highlight video in honor of Taurasi’s unforgettable career that made fans teary-eyed. It wasn’t just the fans online that shared their feelings. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve also took her hat off to Taurasi’s “really incredible” 20-year career. She noted, “Pretty incredible, so congratulations to her if it is indeed … her last, congratulations on an incredible career.” Reeve was the head coach of the Gold-medal-winning USAWB team in Paris and even served as the assistant coach during the 2016 and 2020 games. So she has worked closely with the White Mamba and knows her well.

The more we say about Diana Taurasi, the more we realize that words will always fall short of describing her extraordinary career. Though she declared that the “end is near” before the playoffs began, fans are left wanting more. What more could an athlete wish for than fans unanimously wanting them to continue playing?