Kevin Durant Makes His Opinion of Diana Taurasi Extremely Clear
Despite there being a week since the Phoenix Mercury's last game of 2024, the women's basketball community is still unclear about whether WNBA legend Diana Taurasi will retire.
Taurasi (who is 42 years old) was intentionally unclear about whether she was going to retire after the 2024 season, likely because she still hasn't decided what she wants to do.
While fans are hoping Taurasi returns for one more campaign in 2025, she has already cemented herself as one of the best basketball players to ever do it — male or female — and deserves a ton of adoration for that.
And one basketball icon who recently gave Taurasi her flowers is Kevin Durant.
The two-time NBA Champion, two-time Finals MVP, and 2014 NBA MVP who now plays for the Phoenix Suns was asked about Taurasi during Phoenix's media day on Monday. And Durant sent a clear message about her impact on the entire sport.
"DT has done so much for basketball as a whole. I remember her as a high school, middle school player, her setting an example for basketball in the women’s game," Durant said, per the @PHNX_Mercury X account. "Introducing some people to the women's game when she was coming out of UConn. And to be with one franchise her whole career, reached the pinnacle, all-time leading scorer... championships, gold medals, done it all.
"Still DT that I met 15 years ago. So I appreciate what she has brought to the game of women's basketball. This area, in Phoenix, and all of Arizona.
"I think she still got some time. I think she got a couple years left to play," Durant added. "But we'll see. Even if she doesn’t she can walk away with her head held high from what she's done to the game.”
Kevin Durant on Diana Taurasi at Suns Media Day: “I remember her as a high school, middle school player- setting an example for basketball in the women’s game… I think she still got a couple years left to play… if she doesn’t she can walk away with her head held high.” pic.twitter.com/tvoOrnFnld
— PHNX Mercury (@PHNX_Mercury) September 30, 2024
It's cool to hear one Phoenix basketball icon praising another.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.