PHOENIX — When Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts walked down the sideline to where Diana Taurasi was sitting late in the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s 89-70 loss to the Seattle Storm, he had to summon the help of Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud and Sophie Cunningham to convince the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer to go back in for what could be the last home game of her illustrious career.
Finally, the foursome, along with the help of a sellout crowd chanting “D.T.,” convinced Taurasi, 42, to take a curtain call. The plan was for her not to play in the final quarter, but with 3:11 left, the only WNBA player to score 10,000 career points entered the game at the Footprint Center to a standing ovation. She acknowledged the fans’ response with waves and claps as chants of “one more year” echoed throughout the arena.
Then, six seconds later, Taurasi was subbed out and, for possibly the last time, walked off the court on which she…
