Diana Taurasi signed a multiyear contract to remain with the Phoenix Mercury, the team announced Saturday, and multiple reports also indicated Brittney Griner signed a one-year deal.
Taurasi, a 40-year-old guard, is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer heading into her 19th season with the Mercury.
Griner, 32, has spent nine seasons with the Mercury. She didn’t play in 2022 because of her arrest and conviction in Russia on drug charges. She returned to the United States in December after 10 months in Russia’s hands following a long negotiation of a prisoner swap.
After her release, Griner said she intended to return to the WNBA and the Mercury. Taurasi, a 10-time All-Star and three-time WNBA champion, earlier said there was a possibility she might sign with another team.
Mercury general manager Jim Pitman said the team wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Diana Taurasi belongs in a Mercury uniform, and we are grateful for the continued faith she demonstrates in our organization by returning year after year,” Pitman said. “The way she prepares her body, how much she cares about winning, and how much she cares about our franchise — on and off the court — are just a few of the things that make her a transcendent athlete and quite literally the greatest of all time.
“We look forward to more accolades, more historic moments, and more wins.”
Some players build a legacy with multiple franchises. Goats cement them with one. pic.twitter.com/j4ViHYu6vT
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 18, 2023
Taurasi averaged 16.7 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 31 starts last season.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft and 2009 league MVP has scored a record 9,693 points in 505 games. Taurasi is also the league’s all-time leader in field goals made and attempted, 3-pointers made and attempted, and free throws made and attempted. Only Sue Bird (580) has played in more games.
As for Griner, she is a seven-time All-Star and was part of the Mercury’s 2014 WNBA title team. She is the league’s all-time leader in blocked shots per game with 2.8.
In 2021, Griner started 30 games for the Mercury, averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists. The Mercury selected her with the No. 1 overall pick in 2013.
–Field Level Media
