Diana Taurasi announced her retirement after an illustrious 20-year career with the Phoenix Mercury. At 43, she leaves the sport as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Highlights
- Diana Taurasi announced her retirement in February 2025. She played 20 seasons of the WNBA for Phoenix Mercury.
- Taurasi was born to an Italian father, Mario Tauras, and an Argentinian mother, Liliana Taurasi.
- Diana’s father was a professional Italian soccer player who mainly played as a goalkeeper.
On February 25, 2025, WNBA announced the retirement of Diana Taurasi on its official page. The X (formerly Twitter) post of the association writes,
After 20 years of playing in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is officially retiring. Thank you Diana for changing the game forever, all of the accolades could never amount to the type of person and edge you embodied when you stepped out there on the court
WNBA
Taurasi’s last appearance on the basketball court as a player was during the 2024 WNBA season.
In her potentially last home appearance, Tauraso and her team, Phoenix Mercury, faced the Seattle Strom on September 20, 2024, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Despite a heartfelt atmosphere, the Mercury were defeated 89-70. Addressing the crowd post-game, Taurasi expressed,
“If it is the last time, it felt like the first time.”
Diana Taurasi
After 20 years of playing in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi is officially retiring 🧡
— WNBA (@WNBA) February 25, 2025
Thank you Diana for changing the game forever, all of the accolades could never amount to the type of person and edge you embodied when you stepped out there on the court
One-of-One 💐 pic.twitter.com/dEtE4NDrGH
After her 20th season with Mercury, Diana Taurasi decided not to return to the team for the 21st season and announced her retirement.
Taurasi achieved three WNBA championships and six Olympic gold medals as an exponential player.
Regarding her retirement plan, in her interview with Time Magazine, Diana Taurasi revealed,
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.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi’s Father, Mario, And Mother, Liliana Taurasi, Moved To The USA From Argentina Before She Was Born
Diana Taurasi was born and raised in California, US. Her parents, Mario and Liliana, were US immigrants from Argentina.
Her father, Mario Taurasi, was born in Italy and raised in Argentina. He is a former Italian professional soccer player and player as a goalkeeper, which makes it a more compelling case.
Furthermore, on time, he arrived in Argentina for the first time as a goalkeeper to participate in the professional leagues.
At this time, Diana Taurasi’s father, Mario, met her mother, Liliana Taurasi, a native Argentinian.
Diana Taurasi had a moment almost 25 years in the making with her parents in France today.
— The Sportsnista (@TheSportsnista) August 11, 2024
pic.twitter.com/IPrjaVldie
After living in Argentina for some years, Diana Taurasi’s parents moved to the USA around 1980, before Diana was born.
Diana Taurasi’s athletic career is influenced by her father’s career as a soccer player. However, she did not wholly follow his path to soccer but shifted her focus to basketball.
Moreover, Diana Taurasi often mentions that her athletic order and nature are highly shaped by her father’s sports discipline and her mother’s motivation.
Diana Taurasi Shares Her Unique Background: 90% Argentine-Italian, 10% American
Though Diana was born and raised in America, her familial background is rooted in Latino and Italian heritage.
The two different nationalities of her parents have influenced her heart and living style. In one of the interviews with ESPN during the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Taurasi states,
I an 90 percent Argentine and Italian and 10 percent American. At home, we ate Argentine food, spoke Spanish, watched soccer. I still have the Latino and Italian spirit.
Diana Taurasi
Furthermore, when asked about her biggest Hispanic inspiration in the world of sports, she mentioned former Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona. She states,
He is God; he is the one who always represented us in good times and bad. The champion
Diana Taurasi
Additional Information
- Diana Taurasi has a sister, Jessika, who played basketball for UC Riverside.
- Taurasi is married to Olympic medalist Penny Taylor, a former teammate. After eight years of dating, they got married on May 13, 2017.
- Diana and Penny are parents of two children: a son, Leo Michael, born in 2018, and a daughter, Isla Taurasi-Taylor, born in 2021.
