The Phoenix Mercury announced Thursday it will retire Diana Taurasi's iconic No. 3 jersey during the 2026 WNBA season. Furthermore, she will be inducted into the Mercury's Ring of Honor. A specific date and further details for those celebrations are still to be determined.
"Diana is the greatest of all time," Mercury owner Mat Ishbia said. "What she has done over the last 20 years is truly remarkable. From championships to MVPs to gold medals, she is one of the most decorated athletes of all time and we're excited to celebrate all she's done for the sport, the franchise and our city with her induction into our Ring of Honor."
She gave us everything – her fire, her loyalty, her greatness.
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) March 13, 2025
Diana Taurasi wasn’t just the face of the Mercury. She was the Mercury.
Summer of 2026 her name and number will hang where they belong – forever. pic.twitter.com/S9phdFlh5N
Taurasi, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer (10,646 points), announced her retirement on Feb. 25, ending speculation about whether she'd return for the 2025 season and officially bringing her historic career to a close. She told Time Magazine she knew it was time to hang up her shoes when she didn't have the motivation to begin her offseason training regimen.
"I just didn't have it in me," Taurasi said. "That was pretty much when I knew it was time to walk away. Mentally and physically, I'm just full. That's probably the best way I can describe it. I'm full and I'm happy."
The No. 1 overall pick in 2004, Taurasi was named Rookie of the Year that season in a prelude of what was to come. Over two decades in the league, she racked up countless individual and team accolades.
Taurasi led the Mercury to championships in 2007, 2009 and 2014, and she was named Finals MVP twice and MVP in 2009. Her 14 All-WNBA appearances are an all-time record, and her 11 trips to the All-Star Game are second only to her close friend and long-time rival, Sue Bird.
Taurasi's five scoring titles are also the most by any player, and she was named to the league's 15th, 20th and 25th anniversary teams. On the international level, she won six gold medals with Team USA -- the most ever by a basketball player at the Olympics, men or women.
While Taurasi doesn't know what's next for her, she was emphatic that her playing days are over.
"I'm definitely retired," Taurasi said. "I'm going to miss the competition. I'm going to miss trying to get better every single offseason. I'm going to miss the bus rides, shootarounds. I'm going to miss the inside jokes. I'm going to miss the locker room, the things that come with being on a basketball team. All those things, I'll deeply miss."
Taurasi will be the fifth player in Mercury history to have their number retired, joining Michele Timms (No. 7), her wife, Penny Taylor (No. 13), Jennifor Gillom (No. 22) and Bridget Pettis (No. 32).
