Diana Taurasi re-signs with Mercury
Diana Taurasi, the face of the Phoenix Mercury franchise since arriving in 2004, has signed a multi-year contract to return to the only WNBA team she’s ever played for, the Mercury announced on Saturday.
Taurasi’s list of accolades is extensive, from being the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer to being a five-time Olympic gold medalist. She helped lead the Mercury to three league championships and needs just 307 points this season to become the first WNBA player to top 10,000.
“Diana Taurasi belongs in a Mercury uniform, and we are grateful for the continued faith she demonstrates in our organization by returning year after year,” Mercury General Manager Jim Pitman said in a statement. “The way she prepares her body, how much she cares about winning, and how much she cares about our franchise — on and off the court — are just a few of the things that make her a transcendent athlete and quite literally the greatest of all time. We look forward to more accolades, more historic moments, and more wins.”
Last year Taurasi, who will turn 41 in
June, averaged 16.2 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds before her season was cut short by a quad injury. Still, Taurasi’s average of 31 minutes per game was her most since the 2013 season.
Additionally, Taurasi made 92 threes, second-most in the league. She owns five of the six seasons of 90 made threes in WNBA history. She also became the first player in WNBA history with a 30point game at age 40, something only Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki have done in the NBA.
Taurasi currently holds Mercury franchise records in 16 categories (outright or shared): seasons (18), games played (503), games started (503), minutes played (15,565), points scored (9,696), scoring average (19.27), field goals made (3,041), field goal attempts (7,121), three points made (1,297), threepoint attempts (3,569), free throws made (2,314), free throw attempts (2,655), defensive rebounds (1,755), assists (2,152), steals (483) and championships (3).
Phoenix opens its 28th season on May 19 at Los Angeles, and will play its first home game two days later against the Chicago Sky at 1 p.m. at Footprint Center.