Diana Taurasi likely played her final game of the greatest WNBA career of all-time on Wednesday night. The former No. 1 overall pick is expected to retire from professional basketball at the age of 42, even though she has yet to make a formal announcement on her future.
Assuming that the Phoenix Mercury’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx was indeed Taurasi’s final game, it was right on brand with the last 20 years.
Nike basketball released an advertisement on Wednesday to celebrate the G.O.A.T.’s ride off into the sunset. The message alluded to Taurasi’s fiery personality. She is known to be one of the most ruthless trash talkers on and off the court and will always speak her mind.
D, if this is the last time, it was once in a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/FwVfrNXwNg
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) September 26, 2024
Taurasi often got herself in trouble by chirping at officials. Phoenix led the league in technical fouls this season, which is something that the players wore as a badge of honor. The 11-time WNBA All-Star was the primary catalyst for a lot of the calls throughout her entire career and was no stranger to suspensions.
She was suspended for one game in 2018 and in 2016 after reaching the seven technical foul mark, and also had to sit out two games in 2013 because she amassed nine technicals. She finished just one technical foul away from another one-game suspension during the 2024 regular season.
In perhaps the most fitting end to her career, Taurasi picked up a technical foul for yapping at an opponent during what is assumed to be her last game. It was poetic.
Diana Taurasi and Myisha Hines-Allen going at it 👀💨 #WNBA pic.twitter.com/iIlWJ4KBrg
— TimeoutSPORTS__ (@TimeoutSPORTS3) September 26, 2024
To make the expected retirement even funnier, Diana Taurasi also fouled out of the game and received a massive standing ovation.
A standing ovation for Diana Taurasi in the Target Center 👏 pic.twitter.com/JzQxpEbQYa
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 26, 2024
That’s it! The greatest career in WNBA history (probably) came to an end with a foul.