Diana Taurasi has re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury, accepting a multi-year contract, the team announced on Saturday.
The WNBA’s all-time leading scorer has only played with the Mercury since being drafted No. 1 by the team in 2004.
“Diana Taurasi belongs in a Mercury uniform, and we are grateful for the continued faith she demonstrates in our organization by returning year after year,” Mercury CEO Jim Pitman said. “The way she prepares her body, how much she cares about winning and how much she cares about our franchise – on and off the field – are just some of the things that make her an athlete. transcendent and literally the greatest of all.We look forward to more accolades, more historic moments and more victories.
The signing of a multi-year contract leaves the door open for Taurasi to compete in the 2024 Olympics. Taurasi told The Associated Press earlier this month while attending a USA Basketball training camp that her eyes were on the Paris Games, when she would be 42 years old.
“I’m still competitive, still motivated, I still want to play, I still love being part of USA Basketball,” she said. “If the opportunity arises to play and be a part of it, that’s something I’ve always been very proud of. When you get to my age at this point in my career, you just try to win all the days. Right now it’s a good opportunity to be part of this team in the future, we’ll see what happens.”
If she made it to these Olympics, she could potentially win a sixth gold medal, breaking the tie with former USA teammate Sue Bird for most all-time in the sport.
Taurasi, 40, won three WNBA titles in Phoenix and was honored as the league’s MVP in 2009. She averaged 16.2 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in her career. Last season, she averaged 23.2 points after the All-Star break before having her season cut short by a quad injury.
She holds the franchise record in 16 categories and with 9,693 points in her career, she should surpass the 10,000 point mark next season if she remains healthy.
Taurasi was an unrestricted free agent, but was expected to return to Phoenix. The Mercury have yet to re-sign Brittney Griner, who is also a free agent. The 6ft 9in center announced in December, upon her return from her 10-month ordeal in Russia, that she planned to stay with Phoenix and play with the Mercury.
Associated Press report.
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