Among the several storylines of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, Diana Taurasi’s possible goodbye to the league is one of them. As the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Phoenix Mercury 102-95 in the first game of the best-of-three series on Sunday, her imminent retirement is near. But the veteran star isn’t going to go without making more history in the process.
42-year-old Taurasi scored 21 points for the Mercury and became the oldest player in the WNBA and NBA history to score more than 20 points in a playoff game, according to StatMamba. The WNBA legend and three-time champion is the only player in the league to score 10,000 career points.
However, Taurasi’s performance wasn’t enough for the Mercury to clinch the win against the Lynx, despite the fact that the Western Conference champions blew a 23-point lead. Napheesa Collier scored a playoff career-high 38 points to help her team secure the first win of the series.
While Taurasi hasn’t confirmed her goodbye, she already received her flowers at Footprint Center on Thursday night for the last home game of the season. Now, the Lynx will host Game 2 at the Target Center on Wednesday. Phoenix will host Game 3 on Thursday if necessary.
Diana Taurasi hugs head coach Nate Tibbetts (hristian Petersen/Getty Images)
After the game, Collier also praised Taurasi, but still sent a strong message to the Mercury. “She’s obviously a UConn great, a league GOAT. I feel lucky to have been able to play with her on Team USA and against her,” she told the press. “Hopefully we can end her career Wednesday,” she added with a smile, noting that she doesn’t know Taurasi’s plans.
Taurasi said that she won’t be doing ‘farewell tours’
When recently asked about her plans during a press conference at Footprint Center, Taurasi said that she “won’t be doing any [farewell] tours.” She added, “When I go, I’ll just go. Don’t we always just go?”
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Also, after the Mercury’s last home game, Taurasi was a little more open about what she will do. “I think once the season’s over, I’ll have a better idea of what it looks like for me in the future,“ Taurasi said after the game.
