Three-Time WNBA Champion Diana Taurasi Signing Multi-Year Deal With Mercury

Three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi is signing a multi-year deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury.

Three-time WNBA champion Diana Taurasi is signing a multi-year deal to return to the Phoenix Mercury, the team announced Monday.

According to the Arizona Republic's Jeff Metcalfe, the deal will carry Taurasi at least into the 2022 season, when she turns 40, and will give her a chance to reach 10,000 career points. Taurasi is the WNBA career-leader in points scored with 8,931 points.

According to the Republic, she is expected to receive a super max deal, which pays $221,450 this year and $227,900 in 2022, both the most of her WNBA career. 

𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅. Welcome back, Dee. 💜 pic.twitter.com/JPCVl2IAMz

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) February 1, 2021

Since being the top pick in the 2004 WNBA draft, Taurasi has spent the entirety of her WNBA career in Phoenix. A nine-time All-Star, Taurasi played in 19 of the 22 regular season WNBA games last year, averaging 28.1 minutes, 18.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. 

Taurasi, 38, and the Mercury won the WNBA title in 2007, 2009 and 2014, with the former UConn star claiming the finals MVP award in both 2007 and 2014. In addition to being the WNBA's points leader, she is also first in WNBA career field goals (2,821), three-pointers (1,164) and free throws (2,125) and fourth in career assists (1,953).

Internationally, Taurasi has won gold medals in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. 

Phoenix went 13-9 last season and lost in the second round of the WNBA playoffs to the Minnesota Lynx. 

Starting Monday, WNBA free-agents can officially sign contracts for future seasons.