As the most accomplished and seasoned member of the Phoenix Mercury’s roster, Diana Taurasi has already built a legacy within the franchise and beyond. The Mercury’s new $70 million facility will showcase the mark she’s made on the team as two practice courts will bear her name and feature “a one-of-a-kind Taurasi-inspired logo,” the team announced Friday. The 58,000-square-foot facility will open July 18 to kick off WNBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.
Taurasi — a three-time WNBA champion, 11-time All-Star and the league’s all-time leading scorer — has played her entire career in Phoenix since the Mercury selected her with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft. She surpassed 10,000 career points last August, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish the feat, and currently sits at 10,423 regular-season points, which is nearly 3,000 clear of Tina Thompson in second place. She holds the league’s highest single-season scoring average of all time (25.3 points per game in 2006) and was voted the GOAT by WNBA fans in 2021.
The 42-year-old also boasts five Olympic gold medals with a shot at a sixth on the line in Paris, though she hasn’t been active for Phoenix since July 3 due to a left leg injury.
She’s dedicated her career to us for 20 years, now we’re dedicating the courts to our 3x WNBA Champion, 6x Olympian, and 11x All-Star!
The Phoenix Mercury and owner Mat Ishbia will celebrate the official grand opening of the Mercury’s new state-of-the-art, $70 million practice… pic.twitter.com/Ie4if0FGoR
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 12, 2024
Mat Ishbia, the owner of the Mercury, posted a congratulatory message to Taurasi on X and shared a statement on the significance of the courts.
“This is going to be state-of-the-art, first class, and the why behind it is we want to invest in our team. We believe in our sport, we believe in the WNBA and we believe in the Phoenix Mercury. We are putting our money, our effort and our love behind it,” he said. “Putting her name on the court is something everyone will see in the future to always remember Diana Taurasi played here.”
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(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
