Diana Taurasi’s Retirement Signals End of Era in WNBA, but Fresh Stars are Ready to Step Up
A New Generation of Talent Leads the Way
For over two decades, giants owned WNBA courts. Height had nothing to do with it. For the better part of 20 years, players such as Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles, and Diana Taurasi dominated. They cornered the WNBA title market, accounting for 13 championships between 2004, when Bird won her first with the Storm, and 2021, when Parker led the Sky past Taurasi’s Mercury.
Over the last six years, their swan songs came in succession. Unofficially, Moore was first after she chose to step away from the game in 2019 before officially retiring in 2023. Next came Bird’s and Fowles’ retirement tour in 2022. In 2024, Parker broke her retirement news with a goodbye letter to the game she posted on social media the day training camp started.
On Tuesday, Taurasi bid the game farewell, officially signaling a new era for the league.
A New Era for the WNBA
“I don’t think anything changes for us,” said Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury’s newest forward. For players such as Thomas, who have been nipping at the heels of the aforementioned greats — making history of their own in the process — the 2025 season is just another in pursuit of the ultimate goal. But the league will now rest firmly in their hands.
That might not change anything for them, but it changes everything for the WNBA.
Leading the Charge
Young stars such as 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark and the Sky’s Angel Reese are spearheading the WNBA’s launch into the mainstream. But there’s still a class above them at the helm.
Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson — drafted with the first pick in 2018 — led the Aces to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, they edged Thomas’ Sun. In 2023, after signing Parker in free agency, the Aces beat the Liberty, led by two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, in four games. It was Parker’s final season.
In 2024, Stewart helped deliver the Liberty their first WNBA title, narrowly making it past Napheesa Collier’s Lynx.
A New Generation of Leaders
Heading into the 2025 season, Collier — who finished second to Wilson in MVP voting last year — looks poised to lead her team back to the Finals. Considering the Liberty return their entire postseason starting five, a rematch could be in the cards.
In Phoenix, Thomas’ addition in free agency puts the Mercury in the conversation when combined with their acquisition of two-time All-Star Satou Sabally. As long as the Aces have Wilson, they have a shot.
Then, there’s the Fever, who, with Clark and fellow No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, have built a behemoth with 2023 Coach of the Year Stephanie White in charge.
The Future is Bright
The WNBA has never been in a better position talent- and business-wise. The 2024 WNBA Draft was the most-viewed ever. The regular season was the same across ESPN platforms. The 2024 WNBA Finals’ 1.6 million viewers were the most in 25 years. Halfway through the season, the league announced a historic 11-year media-rights deal with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon valued at $200 million per season.
As a result, the WNBPA opted out of its collective-bargaining agreement and is in the midst of negotiations for a new one that will need to be ratified before 2026 to avoid a lockout.
Conclusion
All of this is a direct result of the careers of players such as Bird, Moore, Fowles, Parker, and Taurasi. Now that they’re gone, the current stars have a similar goal.
“To leave it better than you found it,” WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Ariel Atkins said. “Across the board as a W player, part of the sisterhood, the goal is to grow it and make it better for the next generation.”
FAQs
* What is the current state of the WNBA?
The WNBA has never been in a better position talent- and business-wise.
* Who are the new leaders of the league?
Young stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as established players like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Napheesa Collier.
* What is the future of the WNBA?
The league is poised for continued growth and success, with new talent and business deals in place.
