Tag: Phoenix Mercury

Diana Taurasi getting a technical foul before potentially retiring is so on-brand

Never change, DT.

If this is it for Diana Taurasi, she went out as only Diana Taurasi could — with a technical foul.

Nobody should be shocked by now. Taurasi received dozens of techs throughout her 20-year career, including six this season, and built a reputation as one of the biggest trash talkers in basketball. Even referees are not safe if Taurasi has something to say.

It’s unclear if Wednesday’s playoff game against the Minnesota Lynx is her last. But if it is, she had no problem mixing it up with Myisha Hines-Allen after Hines-Allen took exception to some pushing. As if ordered by the basketball gods, words were exchanged, and double technicals were handed out.

https://twitter.com/BorzMN/status/1839142456471732635

https://twitter.com/TimeoutSPORTS3/status/1839142694934794388

Of course, fans loved Taurasi getting ANOTHER tech before potentially calling it a career. Here’s how they reacted:

https://twitter.com/barryroyco/status/1839143422147338359

https://twitter.com/huskytrax5_/status/1839142446787092934

https://twitter.com/lamannanana/status/1839142948455461374

https://twitter.com/darcangel21/status/1839268540098007506

It also wouldn’t be a Diana Taurasi game without her fouling out and receiving a standing ovation for doing so.

https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1839149215378817315

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1839149524654149944

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Napheesa Collier jokingly said she wants to ‘end’ Diana Taurasi’s career

Napheesa Collier from the top rope.

Napheesa Collier made a funny Diana Taurasi retirement joke Sunday after the Lynx outlasted the Mercury in a playoff thriller.

I hope you were watching Game 1 of the Mercury-Lynx playoff matchup. IT WAS GOOD. Minnesota had a 23-point lead before the Phoenix came STORMING back. Then, a lifetime of buckets was traded until Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton slammed the door with a gritty fadeaway 3-point bucket. It was everything you hoped playoff basketball would be.

So many people were HOOPING, including 42-year-old Diana Taurasi, who dropped 21 points on 50 percent shooting. WHEW. But, it seems that was too much for Phee Collier because she jokingly said during a Lynx postgame presser that she hopes Minnesota could send Taurasi into retirement. This is what Collier shared with the media:

“It seems like it’s her retirement tour. I don’t know. She’s been pretty quiet about it. But, she’s obviously, like I said, a UConn great, a league GOAT.”

“So, I feel lucky to have been able to play with her on Team USA and against her, and hopefully, we can end her career on Wednesday.”

However, Phee later clarified that she didn’t want any smoke with DT or the Mercury. She just wants to win.

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It sure seems like Diana Taurasi has played her final season with the Phoenix Mercury

Diana Taurasi could be retiring, and the Mercury are seemingly prepping just in case.

It sure seems like Diana Taurasi has played her final season with the Phoenix Mercury. If DT is retiring, Phoenix might be preparing just in case.

Diana Taurasi owes us no explanation about what she will do with her WNBA career. It will be on her terms whenever she walks away. However, it seems like this could be her last ride because, per Spotrac, she’s *technically* an unrestricted free agent next season. Also, Phoenix recently unveiled a pretty stellar campaign paying tribute to her illustrious career.

It started with a tweet a few weeks back touting final chances for fans to see her play at home. Furthermore, it now includes a thank you video with her wife and the voices of players central to her career, like Brittney Griner. Here’s that awesome video with so many cool DT moments.

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1836843145323270625

Again, it’s unclear whether this is actually it for Taurasi. But here are nine other times the Mercury hinted that it could be:

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1836823272329277752

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1836823654728094137

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1836809511291535481

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1836797407624929574

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1836450205530755383

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1835732927659004399

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1835053693714272339

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1834308385883472345

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1833594589011447829

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Monique Billing’s reaction to a Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson fight reminded fans of an LSU-South Carolina meme

Monique Billings said NOPE.

After Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and Los Angeles Sparks rookie sensation Rickea Jackson got into an on-court scuffle Tuesday, Mercury forward Monique Billings immediately tried to avoid the dust-up. Her hysterical reaction has WNBA fans cracking up.

Griner and Jackson nearly came to blows mid-game after Jackson took exception to contact that Griner created with an elbow after a free throw by Celeste Taylor. After the two exchanged words about the physicality, tempers flared, and they had to be separated very quickly.

Players and coaches from both teams had to step in to stop any further escalation. Billings, who initially attempted to help, decided it was probably best she didn’t. (See the still shot below and the five-second mark of the clip, where you’ll see Billings — No. 25 — run in from the right side of the video and then step away.)

Billings’ instant reaction to the melee had fans thinking of a similar response from a ref who chose the same during an LSU-South Carolina scuffle earlier this year. They also wholeheartedly related to not wanting to be in the middle of it.

Here’s what they said (Warning: NSFW language):

(Feature image courtesy of CBS)

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Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson ignited a bench-clearing scuffle in the latest Mercury-Sparks matchup

Things got HEATED between Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson. Here’s what happened.

Brittney Griner and Rickea Jackson got into a mid-game scuffle Tuesday and had to be separated by their teams.

Phoenix’s Celeste Taylor was shooting a free throw, and Griner and Jackson stood next to each other as players waited for the shot to be completed. It’s not uncommon for players of opposing teams to jockey for position in the off-chance someone misses a free throw, and a rebound can be grabbed.

But it seems Brittney might have gotten a little too physical with Rickea during the positioning — using an elbow to create some separation — and the rookie took exception to it. Words between the pair were quickly exchanged, and soon, the two approached each other, initiating more contact. In the blink of an eye, Griner was going after Jackson, and Jackson was seemingly squaring up with Griner.

Coaches and players from both teams quickly cleared the benches and separated the pair, and eventually, Griner and Jackson were ejected.

Later, Jackson would return to the court after her ejection, but things didn’t stop there. Both Rickea and Brittney sparred on Instagram with fans who had thoughts about the squabble.

Here are some of the comments we’ve found (Warning: very NSFW language):

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Former Notre Dame star Brianna Turner asked if she plays for UConn

Come on now.

Former Notre Dame standout [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] has established herself during her six seasons in the WNBA. While she’s played fewer minutes this year with the Chicago Sky than she did during her five years with the Phoenix Mercury, it’s not like she doesn’t have accomplishments like two All-Defensive First Team selections.

Meanwhile, UConn is the biggest brand in women’s basketball across all levels, and the proof is there in all of its national championships. So it stands to reason for casual or ill-informed fans that any elite women’s basketball player to emerge over the past quarter-century went there or still goes there.

Turner, of course, did not go to UConn. The accolades she earned while with the Irish are too many to list, making her one of the most accomplished players ever to come through South Bend.

Apparently, some people don’t recognize this though because Turner took to social media to reveal this anecdote:

We don’t know for sure, but is it possible this person confused her with  Breanna Stewart, who’s been away from the Huskies longer than Turner’s been away from the Irish? It would be a logical explanation.

Stewart and Turner met only once during their collegiate careers, and that was when the Huskies beat the Irish for the 2015 national championship. Turner actually outscored Stewart in that game, racking up 14 points while Stewart had only eight.

The point of all this? The Huskies don’t have a monopoly on elite women’s basketball talent, hard as that might be to believe.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

The Mercury may have unintentionally soft-launched Diana Taurasi’s retirement and WNBA fans are losing it

WNBA fans are in shambles over a Diana Taurasi post the Mercury made.

The Phoenix Mercury may have soft-launched Diana Taurasi‘s pending retirement, and fans are going wild with speculation.

It’s anybody’s guess how long Taurasi has left in the WNBA. Here’s what we know: DT has already said that this past Olympics was her last competition — a possible indication that the end is coming sooner than later. She’s also in year 20 of playing professional basketball. That’s a long time to be hooping.

But the Mercury may have unintentionally hinted at when DT’s ride off into the sunset will happen. In a recent post about the season winding down, Phoenix mentioned, “If this is it,” fans have two more chances to see one of the GOATs play.

https://twitter.com/PhoenixMercury/status/1833197322454585819

Of course, people are having a field day with the tweet. Here’s what they said:

https://twitter.com/ByAlexAzzi/status/1833207923214061661

https://twitter.com/ffazed_0ut/status/1833202735174586458

https://twitter.com/_talkswithtj/status/1833226682192347218

https://twitter.com/jhor_ee/status/1833248960301175003

https://twitter.com/KBO_XXV/status/1833215554267594846

https://twitter.com/35mmadi/status/1833219566324817981

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Former UCLA women’s basketball player Charisma Osborne heading to playoffs

Charisma Osborne, former UCLA Bruins star, is now in the WNBA postseason.

Charisma Osborne, who played with the UCLA Bruins from 2019-2024 is heading to the WNBA playoffs with the Phoenix Mercury. After playing 152 games in Westwood, and becoming an all-Pac-12 player four times, she was the 25th overall pick by the Mercury.

The former Windward High School graduate has played just two games with the Mercury this season. She has been in and out of injuries this season.

One of her greatest moments at UCLA was in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. She was able to score a career-high 36 points as the Bruins knocked off Oklahoma to head to the Sweet 16.

Osborne also won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup. During that, she scored nearly 5 points per game. The Mercury are 17-17 on the season. They have six regular season games remaining, and after they finish on September 19th, they will start their postseason run.

Currently, The Mercury are the 7th seed in the WNBA postseason. They are just 1/2 game behind the Indiana Fever.

Why is Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud suspended for 1 game? Here’s the answer.

Natasha Cloud will not suit up against the Atlanta Dream on September 3. Here’s why.

The Phoenix Mercury will be without Natasha Cloud on Tuesday when they play the Atlanta Dream, and if you’re here, you’re probably wondering one thing: WHY?

Unfortunately, Cloud earned a technical foul on Sunday against the Las Vegas Aces, bringing her total up to seven for the season.

Per WNBA policy, once players reach seven techs, they are automatically suspended without pay unless the league office rescinds the foul after review. (Also, for every two additional technicals received during the regular season, the player will be automatically suspended for an additional game.)

After review, the league office upheld Cloud’s technical, and she will not suit up. There’s also something else to keep an eye on. This isn’t the end of Phoenix’s tech trouble. Diana Taurasi and Kahleah Copper are both dangerously close to being suspended. Copper sits at six techs, and Taurasi, who also has six, only avoided a seventh tech because a suspension-worthy foul she received Sunday was rescinded upon review.

https://twitter.com/ayabdeen/status/1830392969339515016

Also, it’s worth noting that, true to form, Taurasi didn’t seem too bothered by the possible suspension when her teammate Sophie Cunningham was asked about the team’s technical woes postgame. (Warning: NSFW language.)

https://twitter.com/NickKingSports/status/1830430898271203787

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Sophie Cunningham calls out WNBA refs over officiating following late-game ejection against the Lynx

“We get fined for a lot of stuff, but I think they need to be held accountable, too.

Sophie Cunningham was ejected during a Minnesota Lynx-Phoenix Mercury matchup, and the sequence following it is totally wild.

On Wednesday, the Mercury were down considerably to the the Lynx as time ticked off the clock during the fourth quarter. Sophie was tussling with Minnesota guard Courtney Williams on a possession and seemingly did not like that a foul wasn’t called on Williams. So, she chirped at a nearby ref and immediately received a technical foul.

Moments later, Sophie was driving to the basket when she scored a tough bucket on Napheesa Collier. She screamed, “And one!” after a foul was called. Still, there were some extracurricular words exchanged with Phee — leading to another technical foul — and Sophie was promptly ejected.

Following her double techs, Sophie laughed at the turn of events, pumped up the home crowd and seemingly said, “[Expletive] yeah” twice before leaving the court.

Postgame, she was asked about her first-ever WNBA ejection. This is what she shared with the media when asked about the moment:

“There’s just so much we can’t control as players, and maybe I could have controlled my emotions a bit more. But, honestly, I didn’t want to. I think sometimes a team needs that…”

“I think it’s a good question for the player’s association to maybe see [about] the ref situation and how we can be better moving forward as a group. We get fined for a lot of stuff, but I think they need to be held accountable, too.”

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