When the game ended, the lights dimmed in the seating areas as the spotlight beamed on Taurasi at center court. Before she addressed the crowd, a tribute video for Taurasi played on the screen above. It was the same video that the Mercury social media account posted to X on Thursday afternoon, teasing a potential retirement announcement.

When Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts walked down the sideline to where Diana Taurasi was sitting late in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's 89-70 loss to the Seattle Storm, he had to summon the help of Brittney Griner,

Diana Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury teammates wore her No. 3 jersey for introductions, a nod to the possibility this was the final home game in the 20-year career of the player widely considered the greatest women’s player of all-time.