PHOENIX — The Diana Taurasi jerseys were impossible to miss outside Mortgage Matchup Center as Phoenix Mercury fans lined up on the sidewalks Sunday afternoon.
A sea of No. 3s in purple, orange and black filled the crowd as fans excitedly waited to celebrate the player who spent two decades turning a basketball uniform into something more like a citywide identity.
Aug 16, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Former Phoenix Mercury player Diana Taurasi reacts as she joins the Ring of Honor during a half time ceremony of the WNBA game against the Portland Fire at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Inside the arena, the Mercury leaned into that identity even more. The team placed orange and purple T-shirts with the legend’s picture and number on the seats of the lower bowl in preparation for what was to come later on. The energy was part of game day, but also part of a reunion — a celebration of one of the most important figures in Phoenix basketball history.
Taurasi’s induction into the Ring of Honor brought plenty of reflection on the accolades she earned, the people she’s inspired and the league she helped change. Friends and family also had the opportunity to celebrate the career of a player who meant so much to them. But one important thing that never changed in her 20-year career was the city that stood by her side — Phoenix.
Shirts of Former Mercury guard Diana Taurasi over chairs for fans during a game at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. on August 16, 2026. Credits: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Twenty years is a lot of time in one place, in a city,” Taurasi said to reporters ahead of her ceremony, candidly talking in Spanish — translated to English. “When I came here 20 years ago, I didn’t know where Arizona was.”
She came from a family based in California and had gone to school in Connecticut. Phoenix was unfamiliar, but that changed when she was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA 2004 Draft.
“But the first day I arrived here, I knew that something special was the people, the community, the basketball culture here is incredible,” Taurasi said.
That culture became part of her story as she spoke about the atmosphere surrounding Mercury games and the loyalty of the fans who filled the arena.
“And for the X-Factor, every time I came here to play a game, I knew that this arena was going to be full,” she said. “People come here, they are fans. They love the team … The emotion, the respect the players receive here is like no other.”
Taurasi’s connection to Phoenix was never limited to the basketball court, either. She spoke specifically about the people who became family to her and the importance of the city’s Hispanic community.
Former Mercury guard Diana Taurasi comes onto the court during her Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime of a game at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. on August 16, 2026. Credits: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“So the truth is that I’m grateful to be here, all the people that became family to me here,” Taurasi said. “The Hispanic community that is so important to me, especially here in Phoenix — a very important part of the city.”
The Mercury will no longer have Taurasi on the court. But on Sunday, Phoenix made clear that moving forward does not mean moving on. No. 3 now belongs permanently to the history of the Mercury, and to a city that, 20 years ago, Taurasi barely knew existed.
Aug 16, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Former Phoenix Mercury player Diana Taurasi speaks to the fans after being inducted into the Ring of Honor during a half time ceremony of the WNBA game against the Portland Fire at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Today, it’s impossible to tell the story of Phoenix basketball without her.
And judging by the jerseys outside the arena and the No. 3 in the rafters, the city is more than happy to keep telling it.