Taurasi's No. 3 Retired After 88-85 Mercury Loss
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- Diana Taurasi saw her No. 3 jersey retired at Mortgage Matchup Center on the same night the Phoenix Mercury lost 88-85 to the Portland Fire, closing a 20-year career with one franchise and three WNBA titles.
- The ceremony ran about an hour and 15 minutes and featured video tributes from Sue Bird, Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, A'ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Nick Van Exel, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, plus speeches from former WNBA president Val Ackerman and USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley.
- Twenty former teammates and coaches walked out with white roses — one for each of Taurasi's 20 seasons — including Brittney Griner, Bridget Pettis, Bria Hartley, Kahleah Copper, and former head coaches Paul Westhead and Corey Gaines.
- Taurasi's wife Penny Taylor, a former Mercury teammate, read a poem during the ceremony, while Cheryl Miller narrated a video segment and former Mercury GM Jim Pitman was also honored.
- Taurasi's speech turned emotional when discussing her parents Mario and Lili, who emigrated from Argentina so their daughters could have a better life; her father worked 50 years at a metal sheetwork factory.
- Taurasi said the day felt "like the end and the beginning of so many things," and that retiring her number put any remaining competitiveness "up in the rafters with the number."
Why it matters: Taurasi, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, closed her 20-year Mercury tenure as the franchise retired her No. 3 on a night they fell 88-85 to Portland. Tributes from LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Sue Bird, and Lisa Leslie affirm her standing beyond women's basketball, while the Mercury now transition without the player who has defined their identity for two decades.
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