Nike Celebrates Diana Taurasi, One of Basketball’s All-Time Greats

Nike athlete Diana Taurasi is a titan of the backcourt. A force on both ends of the floor. A living legend who stands tall among the giants of the game.

The receipts speak for themselves: She’s an 11-time WNBA All-Star. The league’s all-time leading scorer. The Phoenix Mercury’s franchise leader in an astounding 16 categories.

Above all, Taurasi is a winner. As long as she was on the court, every other team was playing for second place.

She has earned six Olympic gold medals, the most ever by a basketball player, setting a standard for longevity on the international stage. Three WNBA titles, earning two Finals MVPs. Three consecutive collegiate national championships, cementing UConn as a women’s hoops dynasty.

“Diana’s journey is probably unmatched in the history of women’s basketball, rarely matched in all of basketball, and hardly matched in professional and college sports — simply because of the sheer volume of winning,” says her college coach, UConn’s Geno Auriemma. “Every place she’s ever played a basketball game, she’s left winning moments that will be really, really hard to duplicate, both on and off the court.”

Now, after 565 games over 20 WNBA seasons, Taurasi is announcing her retirement from professional basketball, ending an unparalleled run at the top of the game.

"It’s hard to put into words the immense impact Diana Taurasi has had on the game of basketball,” says Tanya Hvizdak, VP, Global Sports Marketing. “She’s broken barriers, dominated at every level, laid the groundwork for where the women’s game is today, inspired generations of young girls and boys, and brought excellence to the court throughout her entire career. To watch her play was to watch greatness, and for that we will always be thankful.”

For more than two decades, Taurasi and Nike have worked together to grow the game and give back to the next generation, powering the meteoric rise of women’s basketball and building the skills of hundreds of young hoopers.

A role model to countless youth, as well as her contemporaries across professional basketball, Taurasi has long been known as a consummate leader and now leaves behind a legacy of excellence that extends well beyond the game.

“Her talent, dedication and passion for the game is unmatched, and she’s a fearless player and the ultimate leader in every sense of the word," Hvizdak says. “Whether it’s breaking barriers and records, accomplishing too many accolades to list, helping lift a league or giving back to the next generation, Diana’s iconic career will forever impact the game of basketball.”