Diana Taurasi jokes about her WNBA future with apparent Bronny James reference amid retirement rumors

Diana Taurasi isn’t closing her door on another year in the WNBA [Photo: Imagn]

Diana Taurasi seemingly dropped a Bronny James reference while discussing her WNBA future after the Phoenix Mercury’s season was cut short by the Minnesota Lynx. In a conversation with the Associated Press, the 42-year-old emphasized that she doesn’t “take retirement lightly” and plans to take her time before making a decision about her basketball career.

When prompted about when basketball fans could see her again, Taurasi answered by saying:

“I’m only playing home games.”

It was a possible reference to LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, who is set to play only home games for the South Bay Lakers, as per USA TODAY.

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The banter between the Mercury star and WNBA great Sue Bird nearly caught Taurasi off guard. Bird inquired about Taurasi’s plans for her Hall of Fame induction in Knoxville, Tennessee in June. Taurasi replied that she could attend the event as she would only be playing home games.

Taurasi is an unrestricted free agent which means she can sign with any team. Taurasi is likely to stay in Phoenix, though, as it is the only team she has played for in her 20-year WNBA career.

The Phoenix Mercury have to surround Diana Taurasi with talent if the former MVP returns

The Phoenix Mercury have big decisions to make in the offseason as only four players are on the books for the 2025 season. As such, new team GM Nick U’Ren has his work cut out. Even if U’Ren can convince Diana Taurasi to play for at least another year, he would need to surround her with enough talent to contend for a championship.

Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud, Rebecca Allen and Sophie Cunningham are the players under contract. Meanwhile, the future of Brittney Griner and other unrestricted free agents remains uncertain, and U’Ren’s decision will be closely watched.

With the current core group, the Mercury face a challenging path to a championship. Even if Griner and Taurasi return, the team will likely remain underdogs against strong contenders like the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.

However, if U’Ren can assemble a truly competitive roster, it could entice Diana Taurasi to continue her WNBA career.