👋 GOOD MORNING

Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through the work week, and I sure hope yours is going well. Diana Taurasi announced her retirement yesterday, ending an incredible era of basketball not just in The Valley, but honestly, in the world. She joins a long list of Valley athletes that have made us proud over the years, including Charles Barkley, Randy Johnson, Shane Doan and Larry Fitzgerald — among others — and though this is the end of her WNBA run, it will be fun to see which Mercury player will join the list of budding stars around Arizona.

Thanks for the memories, DT. This edition is for you.

On to the show!

Taurasi Announces Retirement, Ending Remarkable Run

Diana Taurasi is calling it a career.

And what a career it has been.

The 42-year-old is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, and it’s hard to believe it has been 25 years since we first saw her dominate the NCAA during her time at UConn, helping the Huskies to three National Championships. That was only the beginning, as she went on to earn countless other accolades while becoming the face of the Mercury, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2004 while finishing third in MVP voting that year.

Unreal.

Taurasi Leaves No Doubt She’s The GOAT

There’s no debate: She’s the greatest of all time. Don’t believe me? She’s got a pretty impressive list of credentials:

• 11-time All-Star and three-time WNBA champion
• Five-time scoring champion, and two-time Finals MVP
• Still the only WNBA player to have scored more than 10,000 career points, and that doesn’t count her 1,476 postseason points
• Made the most 3-pointers in WNBA history (1,447)
• 22-1 record with UConn in the NCAA Tournament
• Six Olympic gold medals, six EuroLeague championships and three FIBA World Cup gold medals.

Honestly, I could go on, but the scrolling would get old, and quick.

Espo’s Take: There is one athlete that checks all the boxes with longevity, individual accolades, championships and an intense passion for Phoenix. That’s right, Diana Taurasi and her signature bun have been a mainstay in Phoenix for over two decades. She’s won three championships, a multitude of awards, has the most points in league history, and her silhouette is even the league’s logo. All of this while being the heart and soul of the franchise the entire time.

Take a Deeper Dive: Espo argues why ​Taurasi may just be​ the greatest Phoenix athlete of all time.

Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley

Suns Sink: The Suns lost a heartbreaker in overtime against Memphis last night, allowing the Grizzlies to score the game’s final seven points en route to a 151-148 loss. Phoenix has now lost nine of its last 11 games, and the playoffs are quickly slipping out of reach.

Nothin But Netz: Arizona softball player Devyn Netz was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 with 14 strikeouts while holding the opposition to a .151 batting average. She’s the first Wildcats pitcher to earn the honor since the 2021 season.

Drying Up: The D-Backs fell to the Cubs 4-2 yesterday, though Joe Mantiply, Kevin Ginkel, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez each worked a scoreless inning to start the game. Arizona is 1-4 in Spring Training, and faces Milwaukee today at 1:10 pm.

🧢 Tip of the Hat

Thanks for everything you did for The Valley, and for the sport, Diana!