PHOENIX — She's an 11-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA champion, soon-to-be six-time Olympian, one-time league MVP, the league's all-time leading scorer and has even been voted as the greatest player in the 28-year history of the WNBA.
Now, the Phoenix Mercury are honoring their best player ever, Diana Taurasi, by naming the courts at their new $100 million, 58,000-square-foot practice facility after her, the team announced Friday.
"This is going to be state-of-the-art, first class, and the why behind it is we want to invest in our team," Mercury Owner Mat Ishbia said in a statement posted by the team on X. "We belive (sic) in our sport, we believe in the WNBA and we believe in the Phoenix Mercury. We are putting our money, our effort and our love behind it. Putting her name on the court is something everyone will see in the future to always remember Diana Taurasi played here."
The new facility will feature two courts that will be named after Taurasi and will be "adorned with a one-of-a-kind Taurasi-inspired logo."
Mercury Head Coach Nate Tibbets spoke about the honor for Taurasi before Phoenix's game against the Indiana Fever on Friday.
"What a special recognition for DT and what she's meant to our organization," Tibbets said. "Her commitment over 20 years, her greatness each and every day and also the commitment of Mat Ishbia, our owner, to recognize that. So, it's going to be a really cool thing just for the tradition and history of the Mercury moving forward to recognize the greatest player of all time and putting her name and logo on the floor. And that's going to be there for years to come and well deserved and just, I think it's a great idea and a great way to recognize DT's greatness."
The team will unveil the courts at the facility's grand opening on July 18 at 5 p.m.
The event will mark the official tip-off of WNBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, which will see some of women's basketball's top stars take part in the Kia Skills Challenge and Starry Three-Point Challenge at the Footprint Center on July 19 and then the WNBA All-Stars take on Team USA in the All-Star Game on July 20.
Mercury News and Notes
Taurasi has missed three of the Mercury's past four games due to a lower left leg injury and will miss Friday night's rematch with rookie phenom Caitlin Clark and the Fever. However, Tibbets said Taurasi could return before the WNBA All-Star and Olympic break begins next week.
"I think if you asked DT, she would tell you that she's probably close to ready tonight," Tibbets said. "But I would guess in the next couple days that you'll see her. She's had a couple good days at work and we're headed in the right direction, which is exciting."
Along with Friday's game against Indiana, the Mercury will play the Connecticut Sun on Sunday and the Washington Mystics on Tuesday before the league takes a nearly month-long break.
The Mercury also signed rookie guard Celeste Taylor to a seven-day contract on Friday.
The former Ohio State Buckeye was drafted by the Fever with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and played in five games with Indiana.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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