Azzi finished her career by starting all 34 games in the Silver Stars’ first season in San Antonio, averaging 7.6 points per game. As one of the WNBA’s most notable veterans and the league’s all-time leading three-point shooter (45.8 %), Azzi made her decision to leave the game after five successful seasons in the WNBA and 13 years in women’s professional basketball.

“I never even expected to be playing this long, so it really felt like the right time for me to move out of the game,” Azzi said. “Playing with the Silver Stars was one of the best experiences of my career and I feel really lucky that I played down here and we were able to have 12,000 fans a game. This is the future of the game right here and it’s exciting that I got to experience that.”

According to Silver Stars Chief Operating Officer Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil, Azzi’s winning combination of ability and character will be tough to replace as the team moves forward this season.

“We’ll miss her leadership on and off the court, her professionalism, her model of effort, hard work and sacrifice that she brings to the table every single day,” Davis-Wrightsil said. “She’s truly a professional and we’re going to miss more than just the basketball player because you can get people to dribble and shoot, but it’s hard to find classy players who can make an impact and empower others like she does.”

Before moving to San Antonio with the Silver Stars, Azzi won a national championship at Stanford University, won a gold medal with the 1996 United States Olympic team in Atlanta, and established herself as the most physically fit guard in the WNBA. With that experience, Azzi’s teammates say she was an invaluable presence on the court and in the locker room.

“It’s hard to find someone who has those same characteristics and chemistry to make the team work,” said Silver Stars forward Adrienne Goodson. “I love her openness and her ability to communicate with people and stay at the same level all the time. I admire her tenacity, determination, and the example she set for physical fitness and personal best.”

In Azzi’s short time in San Antonio, she instantly became a fan favorite and worked hard to interact with the community. Now, she plans to continue her work running “Wellness Weekends” and fitness camps for kids and adults. While she won’t be shooting threes on the court this season, Azzi said her retirement has nothing to do with her physical health as she will continue to stay active in other ways. As for the Silver Stars, the team hopes to keep Azzi involved in San Antonio in the future.

“Jennifer Azzi is the type of person that we here in San Antonio want in our organization and she just represents all the things that are good about women’s basketball,” said Spurs Sports and Entertainment Vice President Russ Bookbinder. “In a short period of time, she really made a difference in San Antonio, and we’re hoping to keep her around in some capacity to be involved in our program.”

For Azzi, it won’t be hard to help out a franchise she cares so much about and holds in high regard as a player.

“I wish that I had started my career for this organization because this is the best organization that I’ve ever been involved with throughout my 13-year professional career,” Azzi said. “What a great place to end up, and I know they are going to build a championship team here.”

As one of the pioneers for women’s basketball in the U.S. says goodbye to the game, her numbers tell of a brilliant career, but Jennifer Azzi has left a more meaningful mark on the San Antonio Silver Stars.

“Everything she’s touched, she’s made an impact on, and that says a lot about a person,” Davis-Wrightsil said. “I don’t think you can sum up Jennifer Azzi in statistics because that would really take away from the impact she’s made. She had great statistics, but her impact as a professional athlete is incredible.”