Diana Taurasi receives ovation after fouling out in what could be last game

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi received a standing ovation from fans at the Target Center as she exited Game 2 on Wednesday to conclude what could be the last game of her WNBA career.

Taurasi drew her sixth and final foul during the fourth quarter of the Mercury’s 101-88 loss against the Minnesota Lynx, who completed their sweep of the Mercury and ended Phoenix’s 2024 season.

A standing ovation for Diana Taurasi in the Target Center 👏 pic.twitter.com/JzQxpEbQYa

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 26, 2024

Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts commended Taurasi and thanked her for welcoming him throughout his first year in the league.

“What an opportunity for me to coach the greatest ever,” Tibbetts said during Wednesday’s postgame press conference.

Taurasi, the league’s all-time leading scorer and 3-point shooter, has continued to allude to her retirement but hasn’t made an official announcement.

“If it is the last time, it felt like the first time,” Taurasi said during the Mercury’s last regular season game on Thursday.

“I think once the season’s over, I’ll have a better idea of what it looks like for me in the future,” Taurasi added.

During Wednesday’s game, Taurasi and the Mercury could not contain Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, who tied a WNBA playoff record with 42 points.

After the Lynx’s Game 1 win on Sunday, Collier joked about potentially ending Taurasi’s career and the Mercury’s season with a Game 2 win.

The 6-foot-1 forward clarified her comments on X, noting that she only wanted the Lynx to win and not have to play a Game 3.

“I feel lucky to have played with her (Taurasi) on Team USA and against her,” Collier said during Sunday’s postgame press conference.