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USA Today
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Q&A: Diana Taurasi reveals the 1 thing Paige Bueckers won't be used to in the WNBA
Q&A: Diana Taurasi reveals the 1 thing Paige Bueckers won't be used to in the WNBA Show Caption Hide Caption What does Diana Taurasi miss about the WNBA? 'I don't miss one thing' WNBA legend Diana Taurasi doesn't seem to miss the court at all, and is happy to have time to enjoy retirement. Sports Seriously WNBA icon Diana Taurasi never let much stop her from dominating on the court, even on days when she physically struggled to be at the top of her game. Taurasi's résumé is littered with accolodades. The California native is a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, an 11-time WNBA All-Star, and the last guard to win WNBA MVP. When considering the former guard's overseas and college accomplishments, they read much like a grocery store receipt: seven Russian National League titles, six EuroLeague championships, one Turkish National League title and three NCAA championships with the UConn Huskies. While she was creating an unmistakable impact on the basketball world, Taurasi says that many people probably assumed she was only worried about winning games. However, that was seemingly far from the truth, and there was actually more on her mind, something she's been honest about since she stepped away from basketball. "For the most part, just enjoying daily life ― all the little things that I missed for the last 20 years, [and not] necessarily physically, but I think mentally," Taurasi told For The Win while promoting her partnership with Dupixent. "I didn't understand the strain I was under because I was so obsessed with everything from the nutrition part to the regimented pre-workout, post-workout, offseason ― all the things that towards the end of my career got pretty heavy." While enjoying her retirement, For The Win sat down with Taurasi to talk about how she deals with stepping away from basketball, one unexpected thing Paige Bueckers will deal with during her rookie season and a technical foul that was totally worth it. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. How do you feed your competitive spirit in retirement without stepping onto a basketball court? I still work out every single morning at 9:30. So, I think I'm still in somewhat of a routine, but, I've found some other things that I've really enjoyed. I've played a lot more golf in the last year than I have in the last five years, which is something that I've always loved to do ― just kept it a little in the back. I've been trying other things. Are there any parts of being on a WNBA court that you didn't realize you missed once you retired? To be honest, I don't miss one thing. I really don't. Penny [Taylor, Taurasi's wife] asks me all the time, "Are you missing it?", and I'm like, "No." My friends will hit me up, "It was opening week. Do you miss it?" And I'm like, "Actually, no, I don't. I'm really good." I squeezed every last little bit of juice out of the orange. Now, I'm enjoying it. What do you think about the continued conversations around the WNBA's physicality? The minute there's more eyes on the games, there's more opinions on the game. There are more angles of every single little action in the game, and as far as the physical part, it's something that's always been there. If anything, the game is less physical than it's ever been, which is pretty funny. If you talk to people who have been in the league for the last 10 years ... [Breanna Stewart] ... Nneka [Ogwumike], the physicality of the game every year goes down a little bit. I think that's a good thing. People want to see skilled, amazing athletes be able to do great things on the court. When the game gets too physical, that's not something that's available. I think there is a balance to how physical the game should be, but think it's in a good place. What's something unexpected that Paige Bueckers might encounter in her first year in the WNBA? Paige is such a great kid. Being around her for the last couple of years at Connecticut, she just has this great way about her. She knows how to put everything in perspective, which is something she's really going to have to really hone in on in the next two, three months. When you go to a school like Connecticut, you don't lose a lot. I don't know. Think maybe she's lost six games her whole career. ... These are all the things she's going to have to get used to in a way of being able to play a game, it not go your way and be able to bounce back the next night. I think my rookie year, we started 0-4. I'm like, "Are we ever gonna win a game?" At that time, there were a lot of eyes on how far can we go in the playoffs, and it's like we're just trying to win a game. So, I just think you have to be patient, which Paige is. She takes everything in stride. She prepares so well for games and for the season. All these are going to be learning experiences for her, and you know, frankly, for all the rookies, second and third-year players. Everything is a progression once you get to the WNBA. Regarding the WNBA CBA, what's one thing that players deserve that not enough people are talking about? Retirement and healthcare. [Heartily laughs.] There's a lot of things. When we talk about the CBA and the negotiations, look, there's always two sides. There's things that the players are gonna want that they think are musts, and they're are going to be talking points from the owners and the league that are a must. And you always try to meet in the middle to make it better for both sides. Like anything, you need both sides to be on the same page for this league to keep going and keep using this momentum and this moment to really take it to the next place and the next 20, 30 years. To me, it's always been player salary. I think that's, for me, always been at the top. We can talk about charters. We can talk about daily life and practice facilities and all these things, but at the end of the day, we need to be paid like we're the best players in the world, and I think that only comes through with salary. If you could have one moment back from your career, which would you take? You know what, there was a Game 4, Finals 2021. I missed a layup, and I think we were up like four with two minutes to go. That layup, if I would have made it, it would have put us in a really good position. So, I would have took the layup back and made it, I guess. What technical foul from your career was totally worth it? There was a lot that were really worth it. That's one thing. When I got a technical, I deserved it for sure. But there was one [tech] where I was talking to a ref very cordially. We were laughing it up, chopping it up. I walked away, and he saw my bun move, and he gave me a technical. And I was like, "You gotta be kidding me." I got that one rescinded, though. Who would you compare yourself to as a broadcaster? I would say Jeff Van Gundy. I think I would just be very honest. I would cut through the politically correct lingo and just tell you what's really going on. Have you thought about being a full-time broadcaster? No, I have not. It might be in the cards in the future, but for now, I'd rather just watch the game and keep my thoughts to myself.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sue Bird Clears Stance on WNBA Players Making More Money Than Her
Athlete salaries in major sports have risen meteorically over the decades. In the 1979-80 NBA season, the average player salary was $173,500. A change in free agency, made possible by a lawsuit filed by Oscar Robertson in 1976, rapidly changed the sport's landscape, along with a new era of superstars like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Similar salary trajectories have occurred in the NFL, MLB, and NHL, and now, we may be entering a new inflection point for the WNBA. The average WNBA salary in 2023 was $147,745. The new Unrivaled basketball league, which enjoyed its first season earlier this year, has an average player salary of more than $220,000. Advertisement Last year, the WNBA secured a new media rights deal estimated to be worth more than $2.2 billion over 11 years. With threats of a player strike looming, which seeks a new deal for higher salaries and a greater share of league revenue, former WNBA star Sue Bird chimed in on the new financial realities facing the league and its players in an interview with Esquire magazine as part of a larger conversation about her and partner Megan Rapinoe. Megan Rapinoe (left) and Sue Bird (right) watch semifinal during the Paris 2024 Terada-USA TODAY Sports "A half-decade or so ago, Bird says she fielded the question about where she hoped women's basketball would be in fifteen years. 'And my answer,' she recalls, 'was something to the effect of, 'I hope the older players come across real disgruntled that they didn't make the same money that the current athletes are making.' I was like, 'I hope I'm fifty-five and mad that I never had a million-dollar contract in the WNBA,' because that means what we're doing worked.' They got there ahead of schedule. As she quips: 'I'm only forty-four and it's already happening, and I'm not disgruntled about it, which is great.'' Advertisement Bird and her partner, soccer legend Megan Rapinoe, are icons of their respective sports. Considered one of the best players in WNBA history, Bird was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft; she joined the Seattle Storm as a two-time NCAA champion out of UConn. Bird would go on to win four WNBA titles and was a 13-time WNBA All-Star. She also won five Russian National League championships and five EuroLeague championships. She is the all-time WNBA leader in games (580), minutes played (18,080), and assists (3,234). Rapinoe scored 63 goals in 203 appearances for the United States women's soccer team. She and the women's team won the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. With the United States Women's World Cup teams, she and the Americans won the tournament in consecutive appearances in 2015 and 2019. Per Spotrac, Bird earned $966,591 over her 19-year WNBA career. In 2025, the maximum WNBA salary is $249,244, and each team carries a salary cap of $1,507,100. Related: Hailey Van Lith Makes Strong Mental Health Statement During First Chicago Sky Press Conference Related: Time Magazine Makes Major Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier Announcement
NBC News
25-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
WNBA legend Diana Taurasi announces retirement
Three-time WNBA champion and two-time WNBA Finals MVP Diana Taurasi announced her retirement from professional basketball Tuesday. Taurasi, 42, played 20 years in the WNBA, spending every season of her career with the Phoenix Mercury. 'Mentally and physically, I'm just full,' Taurasi told TIME. 'That's probably the best way I can describe it. I'm full and I'm happy.' 'Diana Taurasi is one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage,' WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. 'In a record-setting career that saw her play 20 seasons, score more points and make more 3-point shots than any player in WNBA history, she earned the unquestioned respect of players around the globe, delivered electrifying moments and captivated fans again and again.' Taurasi was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft after an incredibly accomplished collegiate career with the Connecticut Huskies. Taurasi was a three-time NCAA champion and two-time NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player before entering the professional ranks. In her fourth season with the Mercury, Taurasi averaged 19.9 points per game in the postseason as she helped lead Phoenix to its first WNBA championship. She led the team to two more championships in 2009 and 2014, winning Finals MVP each time. One of the game's best offensive players, Tuarasi retires as the WNBA's all-time leader in several scoring categories, including points, field goals made, free throws made, and 3-pointers made. In addition to her WNBA career, Taurasi played several seasons overseas, winning six EuroLeague championships, seven Russian National League championships and a Turkish National League championship. As a member of the U.S. women's national basketball team, Taurasi won six consecutive gold medals in Olympic play. She never lost a game during the Olympics in her time representing her country. 'My scoring record or the six gold medals, someone's going to come around that has the same hunger, the same addiction to basketball, and put those records in a different way, a different name,' Taurasi told TIME. 'That's what sports is all about. That's going to be fun to watch. Hopefully not soon.'
