Nike pays ultimate tribute to Diana Taurasi amid oldest player’s retirement speculation following Phoenix Mercury’s playoff elimination

Nike pays tribute to Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury amid retirement talk (Photo from Phoenix Mercury X page)

On what could have been the last game of WNBA veteran and Nike athlete Diana Taurasi, the global footwear and apparel brand paid tribute to her on social media.

Nike Basketball took to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate the illustrious career of the 42-year-old Taurasi, the oldest player this season, after her Phoenix Mercury were eliminated by the Minnesota Lynx in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday.

It posted a poster of Diana Taurasi with a quote that reads:

“You can’t raise the bar without raising a little hell,” to highlight the no-nonsense and go-getting approach she had throughout her career.

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The brand captioned its post with:

“D, if this is the last time, it was once in a lifetime.”

Diana Taurasi hasn’t confirmed if she’s going into retirement after this season, but after their final home game in Phoenix, she said thank you and looked back with fondness to what she has accomplished throughout her run.

The top overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft out of UConn played all 20 years in the league with the Mercury, posting career averages of 18.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds. She helped the team to three WNBA titles (2007, 2009 and 2014), was a one-time league MVP (2009) and an 11-time All-Star.

In their 101-88 Game 2 loss to the Lynx on Wednesday, Diana Taurasi played 30 minutes and finished with 10 points, on 3-of-10 shooting, four rebounds, three assists and a steal before fouling out. For the season, she averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 36 games.

Diana Taurasi’s basketball career at a glance

Diana Taurasi could have played her final game in the 101-88 Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday, capping off what has been an illustrious career that has made her one of the best to play the game.

Below is a quick glance of the stellar basketball career of what some consider as the WNBA GOAT.

WNBA

* All-time leader in points (10,646) and 3-pointers (1,447)

* Theree-time WNBA champion (2007, 2009, 2014)

* MVP (2009)

* 14-time All-WNBA Team Selection

* Two-time Finals MVP (2009, 2014)

* 11-time All-Star

* Rookie of the Year (2004)

* Top overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft

International

* Six-time Olympic gold medallist (2004/Greece, 2008/Beijing, 2012/London, 2016/Rio, 2020/Tokyo and 2024/Paris)

* Three-time FIBA Women’s World Cup gold medallist (2010, 2014, 2018)

* Four-time USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (2006, 2010, 2012, 2016)

College

* Naismith College Player of the Year (UConn) in 2003, 2004

* Three-time NCAA champion (2002, 2003, 2004)

* Wade Trophy (2003)

* Two-time Big East Player of the Year (2003, 2004)

* Big East All-Tournament Team (2001, 2002, 2003)

* NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2003, 2004)