Welcome everyone. We are starting the city's celebration
of Diana Taurasi. Woo!
» I like having a drink and certain things.
» In the city of Phoenix, we celebrate people in many ways and one is with
street signs. For nearly a decade, fans coming here have been welcomed with a
street sign bearing Diana Taurasi's name.
When the sign first went up, Diana had just surpassed the great Tina Thompson
to become the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.
Fortunately for Phoenix and for her fans, she kept going. And it is time to
update the sign to recognize her incredible record scores in the city of
Phoenix and the amount of baskets that she made.
She's been a really important of our city. We are so lucky that the Mercury
drafted her, number one pick, and that she spent 20 seasons with us and the
Phoenix Mercury, becoming the most decorated Olympian in women's basketball
and remaining the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.
And she's not content with just greatness on the court. She's also been
an important contributor to our community, stepping up for parents and
families, fighting for equality and more. We are so grateful to have her
commitment to the city of Phoenix and the city of Phoenix is so pleased that
we can honor her with this street sign. We're looking forward to unveiling the
sign which will show her current total on scoring, more than 10,000 points.
That number will forever mark her place in WNBA history and remind the city of
the countless moments she gave us to celebrate.
Diana, your legacy is something we are proud of in the city of Phoenix. Thank
you. >> Great. Thank you.
I would like >> And now we'll welcome Josh Bartelstein,
the CEO of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. Thank you.
» Yeah, that could be good. Yeah. I'm trying to think of
» Good morning. >> Good morning.
» It's a great day to celebrate the greatest of all time.
Now, people throw around that word a lot, goat.
The greatest There's only one greatest. >> She averages
» standing right behind me. You can throw around the stats, a
three-time champ, six gold medals, an MVP, go on and on and on.
But DT, she was the ultimate winner. She cared about winning at the highest
level, which she did for all 20 years in the valley. Her loyalty, what she meant
to the fans, and her teammates, and her coaches, and what they mean to her, is
what separates Diana Taurasi. >> And
Actually >> DT, your first basket, you know what it
was? Do you know who it was against? >> The Mystics.
» There you go. First basket, Sacramento Monarchs.
Right? Last basket would be Minnesota Lynx. There was all
trivia to do this. Minnesota Lynx. Uh but all along the way, the points,
the baskets, there were game winners, there were step-backs, there were
and-ones looking at the ref. But those don't capture who DT is. It's
the moments and memories. And you're going to see that on Sunday when you
have people crying because they know what she means to them and their family.
All 10,000 6,646 baskets. So it's a privilege, it's an
honor to be with the greatest, a winner, a true champion, someone who means so
much to Phoenix, the one and only Diana Taurasi. I want to thank Mayor Gallego
and the city for all they've done for this as well. DT, floor is yours.
» Wow,
Good morning everyone. Um, first off, I like to thank Bear
Gallego and and the city of Phoenix. Uh, this wouldn't be possible without her
vision. Um, you know, without her thinking this is
really important for the for the city, for the Phoenix Mercury, um, and and all
the Phoenix, um, community. Josh and Matt, thank you guys so much. Um, since
you guys have really
taken over the Phoenix organization, there's been this
push to really make sure that the legacy of of this city is portrayed in and not
only the the players that have played in this building, but what the city is all
about and, um, you know, when I think of the 20 years
that I I spent here, um,
I get really emotional cuz I came here as a little kid. I was 21. I guess
that's not little, but it was in my head.
And I'd never been to Phoenix before. I had no clue what this city was about.
And 20 years later, it mirrors all the things that I thought were important in
life as a teammate, in a team, as a daughter, and now as a
mother. Um,
hard-working city, a community that brings everyone
together, and mirrors all the things that it takes
to be a champion in life and on the court. Um, and I just hope
when people see that last name, it symbolizes
all the things that it takes, um,
to really make it. And that's hard work, discipline, consistency,
um, and not only that, a great community. This wouldn't have been
possible without everyone that played at the Phoenix Mercury, worked at
the Phoenix Mercury, coached at the Phoenix Mercury, everyone who's been,
you know, part of the fabric of what this championship
community means. And, uh, you know, it's it's a an amazing thing
for not only myself, my family, everyone who loves this team and this
city, but for the future generation that can look up there
um, um and with hard work anything is possible. So, I want to thank everyone
who's here today. Um what an amazing weekend. Um I'm super thankful and
grateful for everyone. Uh I feel like every time I come to one
of these I see some faces I haven't seen in a long time and that feels really
good. More than any basket, more than any championship, it's really the faces
that that have made this 20 years so important to me and my family.
Um and I I'm really thankful and uh let's
get this sign unveiled. Here you guys go.
» All right, we need Scorch. Yeah. It's countdown [music] time,
everyone. If you could help me. Five, four, three, two, [music]
one. >> Yeah.
Yeah. >> [music]
[applause]
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» We all good? Five.
» [music]
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