Free-agent WNBA star Diana Taurasi re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury on a multiyear deal, the team announced Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Taurasi, 40, will be playing in her 19th WNBA season.
- Last season, she posted averages of 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
- Taurasi is a three-time WNBA champion with the Mercury, a 10-time All-Star and won the WNBA MVP in 2009.
No other jersey. No other place.
The 🐐 returns for season 19 on a multi-year contract!
✖️ https://t.co/d5qEpJ4gyD pic.twitter.com/qkdYytqr62
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 18, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Scouting report
The all-time leading scorer in WNBA history has had difficulty staying on the floor in recent years. Taurasi has been available for 58 percent of Phoenix’s regular-season games over the last four seasons and was injured for the 2019 and 2022 postseasons, both of which ended in first-round exits for the Mercury.
She’s also been a defense-optional player for most of that time and fairly loose with the ball, so she has to be a special scorer to provide value. Luckily for her Taurasi, there are still many nights when she does. When the three-ball is falling with her lightning-quick release, it’s easy to forget Taurasi’s other…
