WNBA star Diana Taurasi opens up about retiring after 2-decade career
WNBA star Diana Taurasi is officially retiring after two decades.
The Phoenix Mercury star said in an interview Wednesday with "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts that although she is not sure what's next, she knows she is ready to move on from her pro basketball career.
"All I know is I'm done with basketball," Taurasi told Roberts. "What's next, I have no clue. It's been such an amazing ride."
The three-time WNBA champion said there was not one moment that led to her retirement, but rather a feeling that she was ready to move on.
"I think there was a point where I was ready, mentally and physically," she said. "I said it before. I'm full and happy."
Though she is ready to move on, Taurasi said she will miss the "grind" of her professional playing career.
"I'm going to miss the everyday grind, the going to the gym, the preparing, the looking forward to the next season, all those things, the relationships I've built in the game," she said. "It's taken me all over the world … I've played with some of the best human beings on Earth. Just all those things I'll always remember and cherish, and I'll use all those experiences going forward."
The WNBA announced that Taurasi was retiring in a social media post on Tuesday.
"After 20 years of playing in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is officially retiring 🧡," the league wrote on X. "Thank you Diana for changing the game forever, all of the accolades could never amount to the type of person and edge you embodied when you stepped out there on the court."
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a statement on Tuesday, celebrating Taurasi as "one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage."
"On behalf of the WNBA family, I thank Diana for everything that she has brought to the WNBA -- her passion, her charisma and, most of all, her relentless dedication to the game. She leaves a lasting legacy and the future of the WNBA is in a great position because of her impact, that will be felt for generations to come," Engelbert stated.
Taurasi told Roberts on Wednesday that she feels good about leaving the league in such a great position and is now excited to spend more time with her own family.
Taurasi is a mother of two kids, ages 6 and 3, with her wife Penny Taylor, a former Mercury teammate.
"It's been great to be present at home. You know with work, sometimes it just takes over your whole life, and I've been addicted to basketball for over 30 years now," Taurasi said. "So it's nice to be home and really be present."
Taurasi's career saw her win three WNBA championships in 2014, 2009 and 2007.
Taurasi, who took home the WNBA MVP in 2009, also won six Olympic gold medals in basketball, which is an Olympic record for the sport.
Taurasi was drafted to the Phoenix Mercury as the first pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft after winning three national titles at the University of Connecticut.
