There are a few free agents that hit the open market as a formality. Diana Taurasi has been a member of the Phoenix Mercury dating back to 2004, when Shrek 2 was the top grossing film of the year. Much like there was no doubt that Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy would reprise their appearances in that film, it was a foregone conclusion that DT—now the oldest player in the W at 40 years old—would return to the desert. Per Richard Cohen of Her Hoop Stats, Taurasi’s multi-year contract is at the supermax, paying her $234,936 each of the next two seasons, extending through her 42nd birthday and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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
It’s impossible to ignore everything the Mercury locker room went through last season. With the absence of Brittney Griner due to her wrongful imprisonment, there was an overwhelming void in the huddle. Still, the team rallied to a playoff berth in the most difficult of circumstances, an impressive feat beneath the weight of their emotional burden.
Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, continued to fire up threes in 2022, making 33.7 percent on a league-high 8.8 attempts per night. More than half her 16.7 points per game came from beyond the arc, and she showed that she still had the ability to put on a show any given night. Expect to see more of the same this year.
