Taurasi Honored as No. 3 Retired

The Mercury retired Diana Taurasi’s No. 3 jersey in a Ring of Honor ceremony at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, during a loss to the Portland Fire. The halftime ceremony included praise from Mercury and Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who highlighted Taurasi’s three WNBA championship banners in 2007, 2009, and 2014, and her two-decade career with the team. Taurasi retired nearly two years ago, and in comments before the event she reflected on the significance of the honor: “This day feels different. When your number goes up there you can’t use it anymore. It’s done. So, if there was any little bit of competitiveness left in me, it goes up in the rafter with the number, and it feels really good to know that.”

Ishbia said the ceremony celebrated a player who helped the league grow. “The WNBA is taking off, and it wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for DT and the work she put in and the great things she did,” he said. Taurasi becomes the sixth Mercury player to have her number retired. In contrast, former Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan’s No. 19 jersey was boxed up when the franchise left the state, whereas Taurasi’s honor is preserved in the rafters.

Taurasi also addressed her future. She said she would love to be part of the Mercury’s ownership, calling it “a dream come true.”

“It would be huge [to be part of ownership someday]. Obviously when you spend 20 years anywhere, especially in a place like this, where you feel like it’s family, it’s home. I put in all my hard work here. My family is here. I feel like a true Phoenician. It would mean the world to me. If that happens down the road…” she said.

Financial Context

Forbes noted that Taurasi earned $1.4 million in WNBA salary over her career, and a total of $10 million including endorsements and overseas play. Her final salary in 2024 was $235,000, while Suns guard Devin Booker earned $50 million in the same season. The new collective bargaining agreement raised the salary cap from $1.5 million to $7 million per team, but Taurasi retired before that increase took effect. Forbes also listed the Mercury’s value at $445 million, above the league average of $414 million, while the Suns are valued at $5.4 billion.

Caitlin Clark’s Legacy

Just days after the ceremony honoring Taurasi, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark—less than three full seasons into her WNBA career—shared her own view of legacy. Clark said she wants to be remembered for her impact on people, not for statistics.

“A lot of my favorite players growing up, I don’t know how many points they ever ended up scoring, or I don’t know how many three pointers they made. Hopefully, it’s just the impact that you can leave on people and the way you made them feel,” Clark said. “And I hope you know when I’m done playing one day, that’s what people remember the most about me is the way I’ve been able to unite people to cheer on basketball and love a game, or bring people together to love a sport in a way that they’ve maybe never have before.”

Clark, who cited Maya Moore as her favorite player growing up and recalled meeting her in August 2024, has not yet won. She has yet to win an NCAA title, a league MVP, a WNBA title, or an Olympic gold. But she is enjoying a strong season, helping the Fever to their five-game winning streak with career highs in shooting percentages (44.9 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from three) and averages of 22.1 points and 8.3 assists per game. She also signs autographs for 10-15 minutes before every Fever game, and signed over 100 autographs before an away game in New York last season.