Mercury Retire Taurasi's No. 3 After 20 Seasons
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- Phoenix Mercury retired Diana Taurasi's No. 3 jersey in a postgame ceremony after an 88-85 loss to the Portland Fire, raising the jersey in the rafters at Mortgage Matchup Center
- Taurasi played all 20 seasons with Phoenix, won three WNBA titles and became the league's all-time leading scorer past 10,000 points, calling Sunday 'the end and the beginning of so many things in my life'
- Twenty former teammates, each representing one of Taurasi's 20 seasons, walked out with white roses; named participants included Brittney Griner, Bridget Pettis, Anna Deforge, Bria Hartley and Kahleah Copper, plus former coaches Paul Westhead and Corey Gaines
- Videoed tributes aired from Sue Bird, Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, A'ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, LeBron James and Magic Johnson, while wife and former teammate Penny Taylor read a poem and Cheryl Miller narrated a video
- Taurasi grew emotional honoring her father Mario (who worked 50 years at a metal sheetwork factory) and mother Lili, who immigrated from Argentina, and thanked her children Leo and Isla
- Notable in-person attendees included Brittney Griner, newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald (with two of his sons), WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker; commemorative shirts covered every seat and actual goats appeared in the arena
Why it matters: Taurasi exits as the WNBA's most decorated player — three titles, the all-time scoring record past 10,000 points, and an unmatched 20 seasons with a single franchise — making this the league's clearest face-of-franchise jersey-raising to date. The cross-sport turnout from Magic Johnson to Larry Fitzgerald and Devin Booker signals her stature extends well beyond the WNBA's traditional audience.
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