Blame it on alcohol.
The momentary idea between Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird become WNBA teammates was strictly Russia with love and basketball. They did not have the heart to leave their respective teams, the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm, for the New York Liberty Last.
During Phoenix Mercury retirement conference in Taurasi On Thursday, the top scorer of all time in the WNBA gave by the story of Sue Bird on his episode of Podcast “A Touch More” last week. The story was about them to briefly want to unite their forces in New York during the “2012-13 range” when they were UMMC Ekaterinburg teammates in the Russian League.
“I think it is called” pleading the fifth “on this one,” said Taurasi while drawing laughter.
She meant the fifth amendment to avoid the admission of guilt, not a bottle of Russian vodka with the fifth gallon that could have fueled their plan.
Bird said that this idea occurred when they had drunk at dinner together during the WNBA offset.
“You have a lot of time in your hands when you are abroad and I am sure that we have had a conversation, you know, we play abroad together, we play together in the Olympic team,” said Taurasi.
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Taurasi and Bird are the best friends and were the most tough opponents of the other during their WNBA careers, 20 years old for Taurasi, 19 for Bird.
They played as UCONN American rear area from 2000 to 2002, and led the Huskies to become the last unbeaten title team in university basketball in 2002. It was the same year that Bird entered the WNBA as a global choice No. 1 of Seattle. Taurasi was the first overall choice of Phoenix two years later.
Bird and Taurasi won three consecutive titles from the Russian League from 2012 to 2014. They won five Olympic medals together for the United States team from 2004 to 21, and Taurasi overshadowed the five-story bird record tied with a sixth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Taurasi led Mercury to three titles, including their final in 2014. Bird holds four titles in total with the storm before retiring in 2022. Taurasi and Bird clashed in 46 regular season games and in playoffs. Bird finished before Taurasi on a file of 25-20 in the regular season, but Taurasi has a record of 8-6 in the playoffs on her. They never clashed in the WNBA final.
Taurasi deepened their frustrations by playing for Phoenix and Seattle at that time. They won two titles each for the franchises before thinking about their departures for New York.
“I think that at that time in the two careers of the WNBA, we were probably both grumpy and dissatisfied with the way things happened,” said Taurasi. “And I think it was just the competitive side of the two of us who always wanted to win and always think that if it’s a movement here, a chance to win here, we would always do it.”
Taurasi does not fully remember the subtleties of this “short -lived conversation” with Bird, who said that the idea had been quickly abandoned the next day when clearer heads prevailed.
Taurasi smiles vaguely remembering the idea of creating the most emblematic duo of the WNBA, leads to winning a championship in the Big Apple.
“It would have been incredible to play with Sue,” said Taurasi. “Who wouldn’t want to play with the best playmaker of all time?” I have always said that if there was a player who was still worried about everyone and themselves, it was always on. This is why his teams have always been incredible. »»
In addition, Taurasi congratulated Bird and his wife, the legend of USWNT football, Megan Rapinoe, for having used their platform as female sports icons to tell stories about their podcast. Taurasi and Bird have their “Bird and Taurasi Show” on ESPN As simultaneous commentators in the last four women’s basketball games and the NBA since 2023.
As for drinks, Taurasi also said in a whimsical way that she was looking forward to “drinking a lot of wine in the next two to three weeks” with her retirement with Bird and Rapinoe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Taurasi remembers him, Bird’s plan to leave Mercury, Storm for NY Liberty
