Diana Taurasi Gets Brutally Honest on Her Retirement

Phoenix Mercury star and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi recently opened up about her career, legacy and what the future holds for her as she prepares for her sixth and likely final Olympic appearance with Team USA in Paris.

"When legacy comes up, I tell young kids all the time, don’t worry about your legacy. You don’t get to control your legacy, you control what you bring to the table every single day, to your teammates, to your coaches, to your fans. Are you maximizing your potential and your talent?" Taurasi said in an interview with ESPN’s Michele Steele. “I never looked at basketball for what it brought to me, other than what it made me. It’s what I love to do. It makes me happy."

When asked how she will know it's time to retire, Taurasi said she’ll trust her gut.

"I think, you know, obviously I’ve had plenty of friends who have retired, and I pick their brain. And they always say, ‘You’ll know. Your gut's never wrong,’” Taurasi said. “So, I mean, that moment will come, and when it does, I’m not going to have any regrets."

At 42, Taurasi's career is decorated with numerous accolades , including being the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. As she contemplates retirement, she acknowledged the honor of having been able to represent her country.

"Well, it definitely is (the last) for Team USA basketball, you know. I’m 42, six Olympics. It’s just been such an honor to put on that jersey every single time," Taurasi said.

Looking ahead to Paris, Taurasi stressed the importance of teamwork and selflessness in achieving another gold medal.

"It’s hard to put together 12 players that have never played together, practice twice and expect to win a gold medal. But we will always figure out a way to sacrifice, to be selfless, to make sure that the end result is to win a gold. And I think we always have that mindset when we play with Team USA. It’s about our country and it’s about doing the job," she said.

Related: Diana Taurasi Makes Team USA's Olympic Goal Extremely Clear