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Diana Taurasi Sends Clear Message on One WNBA Team

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Justice Covert | Last updated May 27, 2025 4:01 PM ET

Throughout Diana Taurasi's career, which spanned over 20 years with the Phoenix Mercury, she won three WNBA championships. She captured two Finals MVPs, a regular season MVP and five scoring titles. Now retired, Taurasi takes the role of a fan, and she has high hopes for her former team.

In the May 23 episode of "No Offseason," The Athletic's Women's Basketball Show, Taurasi explained her thoughts about the Mercury's current state without the team's leading scorer a season ago.

"Once we get (Kahleah Copper) back, I'm really excited for this new team," Taurasi said on the show.

Without guard Kahleah Cooper, who led the team with 21.1 points per game last season, the Mercury have started out 3-1 in 2025. Tied for second in the Western Conference with the Seattle Storm, the Mercury are pursuing their first winning season since 2021.

An encouraging sight — Phoenix Mercury wing Kahleah Copper is taking shots and bouncing around at shootaround.#WNBA pic.twitter.com/EdJuM5uxWI
— Desert Wave Media (@DesertWaveCo) May 27, 2025

"I love what they've done," Taurasi added. "You know, that's my team for life. I'm always rooting for them. I'm going to be cheering them on all summer."

This season is the first time the Mercury will be without Taurasi since 2015 when she sat out because the Russian Premier League team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, paid her not to play.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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