After 20 years of pure dominance, the White Mambe, Diana Taurasi has finally decided to hang up her sneakers. Her journey? Nothing short of legendary. From UConn to the WNBA and the Olympics, she’s done it all. But now, she’s ready to step away. “Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” Taurasi admitted. “That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy.” Her retirement has already sparked heated debates—where does she rank among the greatest to ever play the game?
Still, Taurasi isn’t here for the argument. “I have a resume. It’s not up to me to grade it,” she said. And what a resume it is. But while fans and analysts debate her place in history, others are simply taking a moment to celebrate her impact. One of the loudest voices? None other than Charles Barkley.
Recently, on The Steam Room podcast, Barkley made sure to give Taurasi her flowers. “I want to give a shoutout to the great Diana Taurasi, who just retired. 20 years,” he said. Then, he ran down the numbers: “Three WNBA titles. Three at UConn. And six, six Olympic gold medals.” Let that sink in—six Olympic golds. But the numbers don’t stop there.
Taurasi leaves the WNBA as the all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points—nearly 3,000 more than the next closest player. She also tops the charts in three-pointers, sits fourth in assists, and boasts 10 All-WNBA First Team selections alongside 11 All-Star appearances. Whether she claims the GOAT title or not, her stats read like a resume built for it.
Yet, Taurasi knows records are made to be broken. “My scoring record, or the six gold medals, someone’s going to come around that has the same hunger, the same addiction to basketball, and put those records in a different way, a different name,” she said. Then, she added, “That’s what sports is all about. That’s going to be fun to watch. Hopefully not soon.”
But Charles Barkley isn’t the only one who gave tribute to her.
Like Charles Barkley, others joined the praise
As soon as news broke about Diana Taurasi’s retirement, the basketball world wasted no time in showing love. LeBron James, who’s shared the court with her on multiple Olympic teams, made it clear where he stands on her legacy.
More than just her stats, LeBron pointed to the way Taurasi inspired the next generation. “Just seeing her transcend the game, watching little girls want to play like her, her style, her flair, her bravado, her swagger—it’s been an unbelievable treat,” he told Time.
Meanwhile, WNBA’s new star Caitlin Clark, kept her reaction simple but powerful. She posted just one word on her Instagram story: “Legend.” And really, what more needed to be said?
But perhaps the most emotional tribute came from Vanessa Bryant, who shared a video reminding everyone of the nickname her late husband, Kobe Bryant, gave Taurasi: “White Mamba”.
“Kobe called you the ‘White Mamba’ for a reason,” Vanessa said in the tribute. “You’re a stone-cold killer on the court, who is fiercely competitive, and you changed the game for everyone.”
That’s the kind of legacy that doesn’t fade—it only grows stronger with time. Happy retirement, Taurasi!
The post As “Great” Diana Taurasi Retires, Charles Barkley Reflects on Her Unparalleled 20-Year Legacy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
