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Tag: WNBA

  • Diana Taurasi's Emotional Farewell After Legendary WNBA Career

    Diana Taurasi's Emotional Farewell After Legendary WNBA Career

    Diana Taurasi, one of the greatest players in women’s basketball history, has officially announced her retirement after an extraordinary 20-year career with the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA legend took time to reflect before making the decision, ultimately choosing to step away from the game with the same decisiveness that defined her career.

    Se retira la ms grande: Diana Taurasi

    Taurasi Reflects on Her Legendary Journey

    “I thought long and hard about maybe playing again, but I knew in my heart that I was physically and mentally fulfilled with basketball,” Taurasi shared at her retirement press conference on Thursday.

    A Legacy at the Peak of Women’s Basketball

    Taurasi leaves the game at the peak of women’s basketball’s popularity, with record-breaking attendance, viewership, and merchandise sales. As one of the most influential figures in the sport, Taurasi helped lay the foundation for this growth.

    Taurasi’s Unmatched Achievements and Championship Glory

    Known for her confident persona and trademark tight hair bun, Taurasi inspired a generation of players, shattering records and leading teams to championships. She helped lead the University of Connecticut to three consecutive national titles from 2001 to 2004 and continued her dominance in the WNBA after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2004 draft.

    Throughout her career, Taurasi led the Mercury to three WNBA championships, earned the 2009 WNBA MVP award, and was named WNBA Finals MVP twice, in 2009 and 2014. She also made the all-WNBA first team 10 times and was a 14-time all-WNBA selection. The 42-year-old holds numerous WNBA records, including most career points (10,646) and playoff records for scoring, field goals, 3-pointers, and 30-point games.

    A Global Icon: Euroleague Championships and Olympic Success

    In addition to her WNBA achievements, Taurasi claimed six Euroleague championships and earned her record sixth Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games. Her career averages of 18.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds solidified her as one of the most accomplished players in history.

    Taurasi’s Legacy as an Ambassador for the Game

    Taurasi’s remarkable journey not only marked a prolific playing career but also solidified her legacy as an ambassador for the game. “I did everything to win-I wanted to compete and gain the respect of the people around me,” Taurasi emphasized.

    Taurasi to Spend Retirement with Family and Be Honored by the Mercury

    Now, as she enjoys retirement, Taurasi will spend more time with her wife, Penny Taylor, a former Mercury teammate, and their two children. In recognition of her incredible contributions to the team, the Phoenix Mercury will induct her into their Ring of Honor this summer, celebrating her as one of the greatest to ever play the game.



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  • Angel Reese leaves Unrivaled in the lurch with her criticisms

    Angel Reese leaves Unrivaled in the lurch with her criticisms

    The first half of the inaugural Unrivaled League season is in the books, and while things got off to a hot start for the 3v3 league, things haven’t gone as everyone anticipated since then.

    Founded by stars like Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the league gives WNBA players a chance to play during the offseason as they await for the new campaign to begin.

    The first day of action got off to hot start when Stewart lost to rookie Aliyah Edwards. However, after that the league has been hit with several headaches.

    One involved Rachel Annamarie DeMita, who on her YouTube channel, noted that even part owners were speaking out against the league.

    She noted that Rhyne Howard was retweeting posts on X which claimed the league was rigged after she lost to Courtney Williams.

    Then she also how noted how Angel Reese was openly criticizing the league as well.

    “So Angel Reese was ejected in one of the games by getting two technical fouls in a row and then after the game, someone said ejection and unrivaled the refs are out of their mind and Angel Reese retweeted and she said I can’t wait to get back to Chicago man,” DeMita stated. 

    “This is a stark difference from the beginning of the season where Angel Reese basically said if she never had to leave Unrivaled, she wouldn’t.” 

    Other issues Unrivaled is facing

    Another big issue the league is facing is TV ratings. While it remains popular on social media, they haven’t been able to translate that into people watching the games.

    “So the opening weekend the numbers were pretty strong, there were 313k average viewers.” DeMita noted. “Now the viewership dipped significantly next Saturday, and then Monday it also dipped but as the weeks continue to go ratings have gone pretty significantly.

    “All the viewership has now been in the 100ks.”

    Along with ratings, injuries have played a big part in hurting the product. Several players were forced to miss the 1v1 tournament due to injuries, while a Laces BC game against Vinyl BC was cancelled because Laces didn’t have enough players.

    All of this has led to challenging first season for Unrivaled League, meaning they have plenty to work on as they head into the final stretch of action.



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  • Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC Prediction and Preview for Jan. 20 | Unrivaled 2025

    Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC Prediction and Preview for Jan. 20 | Unrivaled 2025

    Unrivaled basketball action resumes Monday with the highly anticipated Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC matchup, which will tip off the day’s schedule. This will be both teams’ second game in the tournament.

    Here’s a preview of the Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC game, set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET.

    Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC Preview and Prediction

    Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC preview

    Vinyl BC had a strong debut in the Unrivaled league, securing a 79-73 win over Rose BC on opening day. The team shot 46.0% from the field, led by Rhyne Howard’s explosive 33-point performance on 10-for-19 shooting, including 6-for-12 from beyond the arc.

    Dearica Hamby also impressed with 17 points and 13 rebounds in just 13 minutes, while Arike Ogunbowale contributed 10 points.

    Even the bench stepped up, with Rae Burrell adding seven points, and both Aliyah Boston and Jordin Canada contributing six points each.

    In contrast, Phantom BC had a rough start to the tournament, being overwhelmed by Laces BC in their first game. The Sabrina Ionescu-led squad suffered a 86-48 defeat, marking the largest margin of victory in the league so far.

    They struggled offensively, shooting just 32.7% overall, including 9-for-25 from three-point range. Ionescu led her team with 18 points on 17 shots, while Satou Sabally and Natasha Cloud chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Brittney Griner played a team-high 33 minutes but was limited to only seven points and six rebounds.

    Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC predicted starting lineups

    Vinyl BC is expected to start with Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby.

    Phantom BC is predicted to go with Satou Sabally, Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner.

    Editor’s note: These are the predicted lineups and could change based on the availability of players.

    Vinyl BC vs Phantom BC prediction

    Vinyl BC demonstrated in their first game that they can generate dynamic offense from both their backcourt and frontcourt, with players like Howard and Ogunbowale leading the way. Their frontcourt is particularly impressive.

    Meanwhile, Phantom BC struggled defensively in their opening game, having difficulty adapting to the 3-on-3 format, which led to their heavy defeat. We predict Vinyl BC to secure their second consecutive win, sending Phantom BC to their second straight loss.

    Fans can catch the game at 8:30 p.m. on TNT. International viewers can watch it on Unrivaled’s YouTube channel.