A few hours before Diana Taurasi announced his retirement From WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury organized an eye event towards the future.
In their 100 million dollars training establishment that opened its doors last summer, director general Nick U’ren and the striker of the first All-WNA team, Alyssa Thomas, sat on a press conference and asked questions about the latest Mercury star. The two gym -gym training shorts carry Taurasi name And logos inspired by her, but there was no mention on Tuesday of Taurasi. Not by U’Rren, Thomas or any journalist.
Instead, Thomas, who was acquired in a four team business in January after spending the first 11 years of his WNBA career with Connecticut Sun, discussed his excitement for playing alongside Kahleah Copper and Sutou Sabally.
“We all come from different winners and now we are lucky to be together and do something, something different,” said Thomas.
They hope to achieve what Taurasi, 42, has done three times throughout his 20 -year career.
Taurasi’s inheritance will forever be sewn in the fabric of mercury. Her three WNBA championships, 10,646 points in the WNBA, 11 All-Star and Flair for Heroiques appear, probably the greatest player in the WNBA of all time. (The fans voted as such in 2021.) However, as the future of Taurasi with the franchise seemed uncertain in the last two seasons, Mercury began to plan for life after the possible temple of the renown of the first ballot.
They seem ready for the next star, with a new trio of stars that had to take the reins of the franchise.
The Mercury’s future plans began to be last last season. In February 2024, they acquired Copper, the MVP of the WNBA 2021 final and the multiple stars, from the Chicago sky. She had led the sky to the title on the mercury.
For some, the move pointed out Phoenix’s desire to compete for a championship last season, in what could have been the decreasing days of Taurasi. But their hopes in the agreement were wider and more durable.
“The chance to get Kahleah Copper who is at her peak and we hope that this is for many years, for me, it is a decision for the future as much as it is a winning decision,” said U’Rren last spring.
Phoenix won 19 games and was swept away in the playoffs in the first season of Copper in Phoenix. But the mercury was among the most frequented franchises this winter, rolling and treating while they were continuing to think about it – for the team and for Taurasi.
Firstly, they landed Thomas, who, despite his 32-year-old child, is a sustainable MVP candidate and a triple-double-dowry machine. Later, they acquired Sabally from the Dallas wings. At 26, she showed lightning to be one of the best WNBA attackers when he is in good health.
Sandwich between the two professions was another transaction which reported the change of guard.
Brittney Griner, longtime partner of Taurasi, signed as a free agency with Atlanta’s dream. Like Taurasi, Griner, the n ° 1 choice of the WNBA 2013 draft, had spent his entire career with the Mercury (and would be a safe renowned room even if she had never taken another jump or blocked another blow). The duo won the 2014 championship and has become basic products from the American Olympic team. But Griner, 34, also wanted something different and said during his introductory press conference in Dream: “It was time for my next chapter in my career.”
The result of Taurasi’s retirement and the departure of Griner means that a chapter in the history of Mercury is closed. Mercury are now copper, Sabally and Thomas’ show.
“One of the things that excites me about these three is how much they complement each other,” said U’Rren. “I think it is really easy to imagine that one of them seizes a rebound (and) which pushes him into transition themselves. I hope we have built a list that completes these three. I think you can consider playing quickly. I think you can consider these three players playing several positions, and I think they will play very well with each other. “”
The rest of the Phoenix list is not proven with only Kalani Brown and Sami Whitcomb with at least five seasons of WNBA experience. However, Phoenix hopes that he is back in the upper level of the league – not waiting to make big movements while Taurasi literally made them wait.
The owner of Mercury, Mat Ishbia, said on Tuesday in a statement: “The name (of Taurasi) is synonymous with the Phoenix Mercury and it will be part of our family.” His inheritance will surely be celebrated during Jersey pensions to come and ceremonies of the fame.
However, the mercury was not caught off guard when a big one of all time left. Last fall, even their social media team participated in the preparation, regularly tweeting messages with the slogan, “if that’s all.”
Well, it was.
After the procedure on Tuesday, on the court of practice that Taurasi baptized last summer, Thomas, U’Rren, head coach Nate Tibbetts and Sabally posed for a photo.
“It’s time to return to the playoffs,” said Thomas. “I still continue a championship. Just excited to be part of this group. »»
This article originally appeared in Athletics.
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