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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269238" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002127Z_275313293_MT1USATODAY29599573_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-PORTLAND-FIRE-AT-PHOENIX-MERCURY-scaled-e1786927145765-1024x683-1.png" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002127Z_275313293_MT1USATODAY29599573_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-PORTLAND-FIRE-AT-PHOENIX-MERCURY-scaled-e1786927145765-1024x683-1.png 1440w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002127Z_275313293_MT1USATODAY29599573_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-PORTLAND-FIRE-AT-PHOENIX-MERCURY-scaled-e1786927145765-1024x683-1-300x200.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002127Z_275313293_MT1USATODAY29599573_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-PORTLAND-FIRE-AT-PHOENIX-MERCURY-scaled-e1786927145765-1024x683-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/2026-08-17T002127Z_275313293_MT1USATODAY29599573_RTRMADP_3_WNBA-PORTLAND-FIRE-AT-PHOENIX-MERCURY-scaled-e1786927145765-1024x683-1-768x512.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
PHOENIX — Few take to the hardwood like Diana Taurasi.
For six Olympic games, she did so wearing the No. 12 under the letters U-S-A and won six gold medals. In 12 seasons overseas, she wore Nos. 13 and 32 while winning six Euroleague titles during stints with Spartak Moscow and UMMC Ekaterinburg.
And for two decades, she defined the WNBA while wearing one number — No. 3 — for one franchise, the Phoenix Mercury. Sunday afternoon, the Mercury honored her by raising that No. 3 to the rafters. And once again she took the court as no one else could — this time wearing an all-black suit with a jeweled brooch — and delivered a speech encapsulating it all.
“Driving to the game today, I didn’t know whether I was going to suit up, whether it was my funeral or a celebration,” Taurasi said with a grin. “I’ve come to realize it’s all of it and it’s amazing.”
Taurasi exemplified excellence in the WNBA for 20 years.
She became the first player in the league to eclipse 10,000 points, then added 646 more before retiring. She won three WNBA titles. She was an 11-time All-Star, the 2009 MVP, a five-time scoring champion, a two-time finals MVP and 10-time All-WNBA first-teamer. Eighteen months after retiring on Feb. 25, 2025, the Mercury officially retired her jersey number.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A legendary night for a legendary player.
After 20 seasons in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi’s No. 3 is officially in the Phoenix rafters. 
🎥 <a href="https://x.com/WNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WNBA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Md0mnzbqJn">pic.twitter.com/Md0mnzbqJn</a>
&mdash; The Athletic (@TheAthletic) <a href="https://x.com/TheAthletic/status/2089151049579819123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Today feels different,” Taurasi said before the Mercury’s 88-85 loss to the Portland Fire. “When your number goes up there, you can’t use it anymore. It’s done. So, if there was any little competitiveness still in me, I think today it goes up in the rafters with the number, and it feels really good to know that.”
The Mercury and the city of Phoenix spent the weekend celebrating the career of their adopted daughter.
On Thursday, a street outside of Mortgage Matchup Center was named “10646 Taurasi Way” in honor of her career point total. Taurasi partook in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for one of the three refurbished outdoor courts in the Phoenix area. A mural with her likeness was painted on a wall outside the arena.
The weekend culminated with Sunday’s ceremony and Taurasi’s induction into the franchise’s Ring of Honor. She joins Mercury legends Cheryl Miller, Jennifer Gillom, Bridget Pettis, Michele Timms and Penny Taylor, who is Taurasi’s wife.
A wide variety of noteworthy figures sat courtside for the game, including 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes, Arizona Cardinals Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Taurasi’s former teammate Brittney Griner, who helped Taurasi lead the Mercury to the 2014 WNBA championship.
Team owner Mat Ishbia, who also owns the NBA’s Suns, welcomed Taurasi onto the court at halftime. Her parents, sister, wife and children were there waiting for her. Ishbia delivered a brief speech before passing the mic to Pettis, a former teammate of Taurasi’s, who accepted her into the Ring of Honor. Then it was time for Taurasi’s speech, which she called an “appetizer” ahead of a lengthier celebration held after the game.
Taurasi thanked Ishbia and the organization for valuing the Mercury with treatment and respect equal to the Suns. She then spoke directly to Mercury fans and Phoenix residents. She shared the story of her first conversation with former Mercury owner Jerry Colangelo and said she knew she would never leave the desert.
“This place made me who I am,” Taurasi said. “You guys let me grow. You let me fall. You let me get back up and you gave me the space to become who I am today.”
But after the game, Taurasi really let it rip in a ceremony that lasted roughly an hour and a half, with Taurasi’s speech accounting for just over 30 minutes. Seemingly more than 80 percent of the sold-out crowd stayed for its entirety. Twenty players, coaches and executives spanning the length of her WNBA career met her at center court with flowers.
Taylor, the only other player who was part of all three Mercury titles, recited a poem, imploring everyone in attendance to listen as she spoke about the person, not the player. When it was finally Taurasi’s turn to speak, the arena was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, aside from the boisterous laughter and hearty cheers when she delivered one of her infamous Taurasi-isms.
For the roughly 30 minutes that Taurasi spoke, she shared details about the grind of her career and the joys of doing it with teammates who became family. She joked about the bad coaches and about the good ones, sharing how NBA and WNBA championship-winning coach Paul Westhead would sometimes walk into the locker room wearing two different-colored shoes before talking about Shakespeare.
At one point, a fan yelled, “I’m going to be a basketball player.”
To which Taurasi replied, “You do it, girl. There are three outdoor basketball courts, go hit ‘em.”
The common thread from all those who spoke about Taurasi, whether close friends or on-court foes, was the competitive fire that fueled her success. They spoke about her ruthlessness on the court, and about her kindness and sincerity off it.
For 30 minutes, she gave fans all sides.
The competitor.
The comedian.
The family woman.
And the GOAT.
“Throughout my career, it wasn’t about winning in this weird way,” Taurasi said. “That didn’t make me happy. The winning or the losing, it didn’t motivate me more or less. So, once <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6160597/2025/02/26/diana-taurasi-retirement-column-wnba/">I retired</a>, I didn’t have this urge to be competitive. I didn’t have this urge to prove myself. Hopefully, I still treat the day the same way, where whoever I come in contact with, I give them my attention, I give them my energy.”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/annie-costabile/?eafs_enabled=false">Annie Costabile</a> is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering the WNBA and women&#8217;s basketball at large. Before joining The Athletic, she worked as a women&#8217;s sports reporter for Front Office Sports and, prior to that, was a sports reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times for seven years, where she covered the Chicago Sky and women&#8217;s sports. Annie also served as the high school preps and recruiting editor at The Clarion-Ledger. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa, based in Brooklyn.

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Mercury Retire Diana Taurasi’s No. 3, Welcome WNBA Legend to Ring of Honor

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We’re at the point of the season where a single game can make a huge impact on the playoff race. Sunday’s Fever-Dream game is a prime example. 
Atlanta entered Sunday’s matchup a half-game back of Indiana in the standings, but held a 2-1 advantage in the season series.
A win would not only help the Dream immediately leapfrog the Fever for fourth place in the standings, but it would also secure the head-to-head tiebreaker with a 3-1 series victory.
However, the Fever outscored the Dream 17-9 in the fourth quarter to force overtime, where Indiana prevailed 95-91.
With the win, the Fever maintained their hold on fourth place (and moved within a half-game of the third-place Aces), but they also evened their season series with the Dream. That takes the head-to-head tiebreaker off the table. The next tiebreaker is record against teams over .500, which Indiana currently leads over Atlanta.
One game. Plenty of playoff implications.
With another week of high-stakes games set to begin tonight, let’s see how the teams stack up against one another with just two weeks until the FIBA World Cup break (Aug. 31–Sept. 16).
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx (29-7, clinched playoff berth) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at GSV, Fri. at WAS</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269230" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-scaled.jpg" alt="The Minnesota Lynx" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2289750018-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
The league-leading Lynx enter this week having won four straight and 14 of their last 15 games. Minnesota has already clinched a playoff berth and can move closer to securing the No. 1 overall seed with Wednesday’s matchup with Golden State. A win clinches the head-to-head tiebreaker for the Lynx over the only team within five games of them in the standings.
<hr />
<h2>2. Golden State Valkyries (24-9) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. DAL, Wed. vs. MIN, Fri. at CHI</li>
</ul>
The Valkyries had only one game last week, a 20-point victory over Chicago, for their fifth straight win and 14th in their last 16 games. Golden State will look to clinch its playoff spot on Monday night when Dallas visits Ballhalla. The Valkyries need one win or a Portland loss to clinch. While Golden State’s schedule was light last week, the Valkyries play a league-high seven games before the FIBA break as they look to stay hot.
<hr />
<h2>3. Las Vegas Aces (24-12, clinched playoff berth) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. ATL, Thu. vs. CON, Sun. at TOR</li>
</ul>
The Aces opened the week with back-to-back wins over Washington, cooling the red-hot Mystics, who had won their previous seven games. However, the Aces were unable to complete a 3-0 week as they dropped their rubber match against Minnesota on Saturday despite A’ja Wilson’s game-high 32 points. The Lynx clinched the season series 2-1.
<hr />
<h2>4. Indiana Fever (23-12) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at TOR, Thu. at DAL, Sat. at NYL, Sun. at CHI</li>
</ul>
Indiana’s win in Atlanta on Sunday prevented the Dream from securing the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Fever. This week, the tables turn, as Indiana has two chances to lock up head-to-head tiebreakers — Thursday in Dallas (series is tied 1-1, winner takes series) and Saturday in New York (Fever lead the series 2-1 ahead of final matchup of season). The Fever, who have won four straight and nine of their last 11, can bolster their playoff position with wins in these key games.
<hr />
<h2>5. New York Liberty (22-14) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at CHI, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-269231" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-scaled.jpg" alt="Breanna Stewart #30, Rebecca Allen #9, and Marine Johannes #23 of the New York Liberty" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290069881-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
After falling to the Fever to open last week, the Liberty picked up wins over the Sparks and Sun to make it nine wins in their last 11 games. This week, New York will look to improve to 3-0 vs. Chicago before trying to even its season series with Indiana on Saturday in Brooklyn — the Liberty are 12-5 at home this season.
<hr />
<h2>6. Washington Mystics (20-14) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. TOR, Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at PDX</li>
</ul>
The Mystics had their seven-game win streak snapped with back-to-back losses to the Aces this past week, before getting back on track with a victory over the Sparks on Saturday. After opening the week against a Toronto team that has dropped 10 straight, the Mystics will try to become the first team to beat Minnesota twice this season and clinch their season series with the Lynx.
<hr />
<h2>7. Atlanta Dream (21-13) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at LVA, Thu. at LAS, Sat. at PHX</li>
</ul>
Whether Sunday’s overtime loss to Indiana comes back to bite Atlanta remains to be seen. However, the Dream need to bounce back quickly to keep their chances at a top-four seed intact. Atlanta opens a four-game road trip this week — the Dream are 9-7 away from home so far this season — looking to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Aces.
<hr />
<h2>8. Dallas Wings (20-15) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at GSV, Thu. vs. IND, Sun. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
The bad news for the Wings is that their loss to the Fever on Friday dropped them to 3-7 in their last 10 games. However, the good news is that Dallas enters this week still holding a five-game lead for the eighth and final playoff spot. That gives them time to get back on track. This week, the Wings visit Golden State before hosting a critical game with the Fever that will determine the head-to-head tiebreaker.
<hr />
<h2>9. Portland Fire (15-20) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Fri. at TOR, Sun. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-269232" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-scaled.jpg" alt="Emily Engstler #21 of the Portland Fire high fives teammates" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2290792831-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />
On Sunday in Phoenix, the Fire did not let Diana Taurasi and her Ring of Honor ceremony distract them from the task at hand. Portland rallied past Phoenix for an 88-85 win. It was the Fire’s second win by one possession, and their fourth win over the last five games overall as Portland keeps its slim playoff hopes alive. However, a loss or a Valkyries win seals their fate.
<hr />
<h2>10. Chicago Sky (13-22) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. NYL, Fri. vs. GSV, Sun. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
The Sky snapped a six-game road skid on Sunday as they held off the Storm in Seattle behind Kamilla Cardoso’s 22-point, 12-rebound double-double. While the Sky return to Chicago for a three-game homestand this week, the competition is fierce with three teams aiming for a top-four seed headed to the Windy City. The Sky are a combined 1-5 against the Liberty, Valkyries and Fever this season.
<hr />
<h2>11. Phoenix Mercury (13-23) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Sat. vs. ATL</li>
</ul>
Even the loss to Portland could not dampen the celebration of Diana Taurasi, who had her No. 3 jersey retired as she entered Phoenix’s Ring of Honor on Sunday night. Following the game, the Mercury have six days off before they host the Dream on Saturday. Trailing the eighth seed by 7.5 games with eight games to play, the Mercury are entering must-win territory to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
<hr />
<h2>12. Los Angeles Sparks (12-22) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at CON, Thu. vs. ATL, Sat. vs. CON</li>
</ul>
Following losses to Phoenix, New York and Washington last week, the Sparks have dropped four straight overall and 11 of their last 13 games. With their playoff hopes declining fast, the Sparks visit Connecticut for the final time before returning home to host the Dream and Sun.
<hr />
<h2>13. Seattle Storm (7-30, eliminated from playoffs) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Sun. at DAL</li>
</ul>
After opening last week with a win over the Sky, the Storm suffered back-to-back two-point losses to Portland and Chicago to close out the week. No team has played more games this season than the Storm, who have a full week off before they visit Dallas on Sunday. So far this season, Seattle is 0-2 against the Wings with two games remaining — this Sunday and the final day of the regular season. 
<hr />
<h2>14. Connecticut Sun (8-25, eliminated from playoffs) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. LAS, Thu. at LVA, Sat. at LAS</li>
</ul>
The Sun, who have dropped seven of their last eight games, have officially been eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight season, which comes after an eight-year streak of postseason play (2017–24). With their postseason fate sealed, there are only five remaining home games in Connecticut before their offseason relocation, beginning Tuesday against the Sparks.
<hr />
<h2>15. Toronto Tempo (10-23) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. IND, Wed. at WAS, Fri. vs. POR, Sun. vs LVA</li>
</ul>
The Tempo have dropped 10 straight and 14 of their last 15 games and find themselves on the brink of playoff elimination in their inaugural season. Toronto will be busy with a league-high-tying seven games before the FIBA break, including a four-game slate this week against the likes of Indiana, Washington, Portland, and Las Vegas.

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27	Ines Pitarch-Granel	Guard	France
42	Eszter Ratkai		Hungary

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