Diana Taurasi, whose name is synonymous with basketball greatness in the WNBA and at UConn, announced her retirement Tuesday after 20 professional seasons.
“I just didn’t have it in me,” Taurasi told TIME. “That was pretty much when I knew it was time to walk away.”
Taurasi, 42, played her entire WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury, where she captured three titles (2007, ‘09, ‘14) and became the league leader in points (10,646) and three-pointers (1,447).
She won the 2009 WNBA MVP and two Finals MVPs in career in the W, and was part of six Olympic Gold Medal teams.
Taurasi made her mark at UConn, helping to capture three NCAA Championships in her four-year tenure. She was a huge part of the 2001-02 team that featured Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones in the starting lineup, a squad that is often considered the best women’s college team in history after the Huskies went undefeated.
“It’s just the full package,” Bird said of her former teammate. “You add on some swag to that, some sh-t talking to that–the more you piss her off, the better she plays, people are entertained by that.”
At UConn, Taurasi won Player of the Year and was twice named a first-team All-American along with Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament. Aside from the numerous WNBA records, she still’s ranked in a variety of UConn All-time lists. She’s 10th in scoring and third in assists, and has left an indelible mark on the program.
“It’s hard to put into words, it really is, what this means,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of Taurasi’s retirement in a statement. “When someone’s defined the game, when someone’s had such an impact on so many people and so many places. You can’t define it with a quote. It’s a life that is a novel, it’s a movie, it’s a miniseries, it’s a saga. It’s the life of an extraordinary person who, I think, had as much to do with changing women’s basketball as anyone who’s ever played the game.
“In my opinion, what the greats have in common is, they transcend the sport and become synonymous with the sport. For as long as people talk about college basketball, WNBA basketball, Olympic basketball: Diana is the greatest winner in the history of basketball, period. I’ve had the pleasure of being around her for a lot of those moments, and she’s the greatest teammate I’ve ever coached. I’m happy for her and her family. At the same time, I’m sad that I’ll never get to see her play again, but I saw more than most.”
