Taurasi showered gratitude in what could be last home game

Game day arrived and it began like any other game—with a shootout. Morning light bathed the brand-new Mercury practice facility, and sneakers squeaked on the courts named for Taurasi. Players joked and made shots while coaches and trainers went about their duties. To finish off the shootout, everyone on the court, including team staff and practice players, took turns shooting shots from half court, until guard Sophie Cunningham finished it with a swish.

Diana Taurasi’s logo on the practice courts during the grand opening of the new Mercury practice facility on Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Photo credit: Patrick Breen | The Republic | USA TODAY NETWORK)

As practice ended and the players emerged from the facility in civilian clothes, Taurasi’s longtime teammate Brittney Griner spoke briefly with the media. As expected, the first question she received was about the impending end of Taurasi’s legendary basketball career. Interestingly, Griner quickly dismissed any speculation that Thursday’s game would be a farewell. Instead, she quickly focused on the upcoming playoffs.

“Man, I don’t know when that day is going to come, but winning another championship would mean everything to this organization… For Dee, I mean, winning another one would mean everything to me,” Griner told reporters.

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Hours later, as game time approached, a large crowd gathered outside the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix. It was a sea of Taurasi jerseys spanning her many eras in Phoenix, and more than a few goat-themed accessories.

Fans eagerly awaited the doors opening, hoping to be among the first 2,500 fans through the doors, guaranteeing themselves a limited edition DT bobblehead. Sitting at the press room podium in the basement of the Footprint Center, head coach Nate Tibbetts addressed the media.

“It’s going to be an incredible night. I know (the fans) are going to show their love. And I mean, 20 years with one team and all the accomplishments they’ve had, which just — you know, will probably never be repeated. And so we’re seeing greatness in a way that maybe never will be repeated,” Tibbetts said.

When the doors opened about 90 minutes before kickoff, fans poured into the arena and took their seats, each adorned with a Taurasi jersey. There was a sense of nostalgia in the air as the music played and the players warmed up on the field. Scorch, the Mercury mascot, descended from the ceiling as the pregame clock ticked down to zero. When it was time for the starting lineups, four Mercury players took the field wearing retrospective, commemorative Taurasi jerseys for warmups. When it was finally time for Taurasi to arrive, the announcer took his time.

As soon as she heard her name, Taurasi jumped up from her seat, her signature bun intact, and was greeted with thunderous applause.

Ironically, Phoenix’s first basket of the game was a 3-pointer by Diana Taurasi. But the action on the court wasn’t the story of Thursday night. Both Seattle and Phoenix had secured their playoff spots — No. 5 and No. 7, respectively — and the coaching staffs on both benches seemed content to largely rest their starters before Sunday’s playoffs. The game, at times ugly, was punctuated by memorabilia of key moments in Taurasi’s career: her three WNBA championships, her 2009 MVP award, her six podium finishes as an Olympic gold medalist, even a few highlights from her days at UConn.

The crowd, affectionately known as the X-Factor, held its breath for every shot Taurasi made and showered their star with gratitude every time she entered or left the court. That night, DT scored nine points, had two assists, one rebound, and one steal in 18 minutes of play. She didn’t start the fourth quarter and sat on the bench during warmups, seemingly done for the day. Then, with 3:11 left in the game, she reluctantly returned to the game for one last appearance.

“I didn’t really tell her the plan,” Tibbetts told reporters later. “We started telling her with about seven minutes left and she didn’t want to come in, but she caved to the pressure from her teammates and the coaching staff. And so, I mean, at a time like that, of course it’s for her, but it’s for these people who have supported her for 20 years. And I’m glad she decided to do it because it’s something she definitely deserved.”

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After staying on the court for just six seconds, Taurasi left the game for what could have been her last time on Phoenix’s home court. She walked to the line on the bench and, starting with her parents sitting courtside, greeted each person with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Before the end of the game, the announcer ordered fans to remain in their seats for a special post-game ceremony. As the final buzzer sounded, the arena lights went out and a video dedicated to “Dear Dee” played on the big screen for several minutes. Beginning with Taurasi’s wife and former teammate, Penny Taylor, the video featured family and friends reading a love letter of sorts to DT for all she has done for the franchise, the WNBA, and women’s basketball as a whole.

Phoenix Mercury forward Diana Taurasi (3) shoots for a three-pointer on Sept. 19, 2024, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Photo Credit: Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

When the video ended, Taurasi took the microphone and addressed X-Factor. Fans hung on every word as their franchise pillar thanked them for two decades of love and support. Taurasi’s children, Leo and Isla, stood by her as she spoke. Leo enjoyed his moment on the big screen, jumping on DT’s back until she finally looked at him with a parental look and said, “Hell yeah, Leo,” which drew laughter from the crowd.

As she delivered her remarks through tears, a close circle of family, friends, former teammates and coaches — including UConn coaches Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey — gathered nearby on the court. There was a familial feel to the arena as both family and fans showed their appreciation for Taurasi.

“I want to thank every coach, every player, every person that has put on a WNBA jersey because it takes a village and our league is about supporting each other every step of the way,” Taurasi told the crowd.

Through it all, Taurasi spoke with the joy and ease of a child who simply loves playing basketball. Even after a 20-year career that has seen her ride the WNBA waves, the sometimes tumultuous pains of growing up and the grind of spending months competing around the world, DT’s innocent love for the game shone through.

Before she set the microphone at center court and greeted the many loved ones in attendance, the future Hall of Fame inductee gave one final speech to the adoring crowd.

“If this is the last time,” Taurasi said with her typical wry smile, “it felt like the first time.”

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