How Diana Taurasi's Retirement Impacts Phoenix Mercury's WNBA Championship Odds

Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi announced her retirement from basketball on Tuesday.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi is retiring. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi announced her retirement on Tuesday afternoon after a 20-year WNBA career where she became one of the greatest players in league history.

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

One-of-One 💐 pic.twitter.com/dEtE4NDrGH

— WNBA (@WNBA) February 25, 2025

Taurasi, 42, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft and spent her entire WNBA career with the Mercury. An 11-time All-Star, three-time WNBA champion and the 2009 league MVP, Taurasi scored more points that anyone else in league history.

In addition to that, she was a part of plenty of dominant Phoenix teams, finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting in 13 different seasons during her storied career.

The Mercury, who didn't make it past the first round of the playoffs last season, appeared to be preparing for Taurasi leaving the franchise this offseason. Phoenix traded for star forwards Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to pair with Kahleah Copper, a signal that a new era was coming for the franchise.

While Taurasi would fit in nicely at one of the guard spots in the 2025 season, the former UConn star decided to hang it up.

As a result, the Mercury are +1000 to win the WNBA Finals at FanDuel Sportsbook and +1500 at DraftKings Sportsbook next season. Phoenix is still viewed as one of the top contenders in the league, and its odds haven't moved following Taurasi's announcement.

Taurasi, a five-time scoring champion, finished her career with averages of 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3.

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