February 1, 2021
Diana Taurasi signs multi-year extension with Phoenix Mercury
By Kim Doss
'We want her in a Mercury uniform'
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The Phoenix Mercury had made a few moves since the free agency period started, but the big question was still in the air. What was Diana Taurasi going to do? The face of the franchise answered that question early Monday morning.
She’s back for at least two more summers. League sources confirmed to The Next that the deal is a two-year super-max of $221,450 the first year and $228,094 the second.
“Diana has given her entire career to our organization and community, and we don’t take for granted her unrivaled impact on basketball in the Valley,” Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said in the organization’s press release.
Taurasi sat out for almost all of the 2019 season after undergoing back surgery. She returned for the pandemic season in the Wubble, leading her team back to the playoffs despite injuries and opt outs that ate away the Mercury’s depth.
She led the team in scoring (18.7 ppg) and assists (4.5 apg). Those numbers were good for fifth in the league in scoring and eighth in assists. She led the league in made 3-pointers (61) for the tenth time in her career.
“As long as Diana wants to play in the WNBA, we want her in a Mercury uniform,” Pitman said. “She is the heart of our franchise, the first face on our Mount Rushmore, the best winner and competitor in the women’s game. The trajectory of our organization changed the day we drafted her 17 years ago, and we are excited she will be here into the future.”
Taurasi will turn 39 in June, meaning her contract will take her into her 40s, but age is not something the organization is concerned about.
“Her commitment to getting back on the court last year, and the level of play we saw from her in the Wubble, make us confident she has more All-WNBA days ahead of her,” Pitman said.
Prior to re-signing Taurasi, the Mercury also signed a deal with Nia Coffey and signed Shey Peddy to a training camp contract.
