Regardless of whether the September 26th loss against the Minnesota Lynx was her last WNBA game, six-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi has already cemented herself as the GOAT. She’s a three-time WNBA champion, 11-time WNBA All-Star, five-time WNBA scoring champion, 2009 WNBA MVP, and two-time Finals MVP. An impressive resume indeed. But could that stop there?

The 42-year-old Phoenix Mercury star still hasn’t made it clear if she’ll be retiring, despite her team being knocked out of the playoffs earlier this week. Naturally, this has left spectators wondering if she’s considering the decision. While Taurasi is busy making a final call this offseason, NBA legend Kevin Durant has entered the conversation, offering his stance.

On September 30th, during the Pheonix Sun media day, Durant expressed his admiration for Taurasi. “Yeah, DT has done so much for basketball as a whole,” he said. For Durant, Taurasi is not just a WNBA player but an iconic figure he’s watched grow over the years. “I remember her from high school and middle school, setting an example for women’s basketball and introducing new fans to the game when she came out of UConn. And to be with one franchise her whole career, that’s incredible,” he added.

Durant was in high school when DT made her WNBA debut, setting the draft night viewership record at 600,000, which would take 2 decades to be broken. Only right, considering Taurasi was always dominant. Even in high school herself, the 2000 Cheryl Miller honoree, concluded with 3,047 points, ranking fourth in state history. By the time she entered UConn, she already had a long list of accolades, but her thirst for success remained unquenched.

Kevin Durant continues to believe in Diana Taurasi’s run

Primarily playing as a point guard and later as a shooting guard, Taurasi led the Huskies to three consecutive NCAA championships. Even during poor shooting performances, she took responsibility, vowing, “We will not lose another tournament game while I’m wearing this uniform.” That’s exactly how the Huskies went on to win three national titles along with 18 consecutive tournament victories.

Following her legendary collegiate career, Taurasi entered the league in 2004. Since finishing her debut game with 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists, she’s been the face of the Phoenix Mercury. Durant admires that. And now with a fairly good offensive season this campaign, averaging almost 15 points, while shooting 40% from the field, he also believes Taurasi can still continue.

“DT, I met her 15 years ago, so I appreciate what she’s brought to the game of basketball, to this area in Phoenix, and all of Arizona. I think she’s still got a couple of years left to play, but we’ll see. Even if she doesn’t, she’ll walk away with her head held high from what she’s done for the game,” Durant added.

With the speculations running large, the decision remains uncertain. But if it were to be her last, Taurasi received a standing ovation from Minnesota fans, acknowledging her profound impact on the game, as she left the arena last week.