Is retirement coming for Diana Taurasi?

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury point guard, widely considered one of the greatest basketball players in history, is finishing up her 20th season in the WNBA.

For the past few weeks, the Phoenix Mercury have hinted on social media that retirement could be coming for Diana Taurasi, the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history and one of the greatest to ever play the game.

The campaign — tagged ‘If this is it’ — urged fans to purchase tickets to the Mercury’s last games of the season, just in case the 42-year-old point guard is retiring.

Taurasi is the oldest player in the WNBA by five years, and she’s continued playing at a high level this season despite some undeniable drop-off in her game. This season, she’s averaged 15.1 points and 3.4 assists, shooting 40.1% from the field and 32.9% from three. While those numbers are below her career averages, she continues to be a positive contributor for the 7th seeded Mercury.

Taurasi was noncommittal when asked about her prospective retirement after the Mercury’s Tuesday night win over the Los Angeles Sparks.

“You know, I don’t know,” Taurasi said . “The last couple of weeks have been a little nerve-racking for myself. I don’t want to make any emotional, rash decisions. I know the end is near. When that is, I don’t know.”

The Mercury have one regular season game left, a home match-up against the Seattle Storm on Thursday. If Taurasi retires this offseason, that could be her last time playing in front of her fans in Phoenix. The Mercury are set to face the Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series. The first two games will be played in Minneapolis, and if they are able to steal a win, the deciding third game will be played in Phoenix.

“I’ve always been a person that just concentrates on what’s next,” Taurasi said. “And that’s practice tomorrow and then Seattle on Thursday. I guess when the season’s over, I’ll reflect and I’ll get advice from the people that are closest to my heart.”

Widely recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Taurasi helped Phoenix win three WNBA championships in her 20-year career. Her list of accolades is a lengthy one: 6 Olympic gold medals for Team USA, one WNBA MVP award, two Finals MVP awards, five scoring titles, and 14 All-WNBA selections, and the list goes on. She expressed gratitude for her relationship with the Mercury organization.

“I’m grateful that [we’re] able to have these conversations and let me really do it the way I want to do it,” she said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people, and someone once told me, ‘You don’t get to pick your ending sometimes.’ So, when it ends, it ends. It’s been a fun ride.”