WNBA: Diana Taurasi’s decision determines what’s next for the Mercury

A sub-.500 season, a superstar saying goodbye (or not?) and a stack of cash big enough for nearly any free agent.

Looking in from the outside, the Phoenix Mercury seem to be trending downwards. However, the desert is anything but dry when it comes to money. They have the opportunity to make waves before the spring, but everything starts with one woman: Diana Taurasi.

Here’s where the Mercury stand entering free agency, followed by a break down of Taurasi’s decision and what could come next for PHX:

Facts and figures*

Players under contract (contract status; 2025 salary)

• Rebecca Allen (protected veteran, $160,000)
• Natasha Cloud (protected veteran; $200,000)
• Kahleah Copper (protected veteran; $248,134)
• Sophie Cunningham (protected veteran, $100,000)

Free agent (type; 2024 salary)

• Amy Atwell (reserved; $9,527)
• Brittney Griner (unrestricted, $150,000)
• Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (reserved; $64,154)
• Natasha Mack (reserved; $64,154)
• Charisma Osborne (reserved; $45,098)
• Diana Taurasi (protected veteran, $234,936)
• Celeste Taylor (reserved; $56,639)

Total salary of free agents: $624,508

Total team salary: $708,134

Cap space: $798,966

2025 WNBA Draft picks (2025 salary)

• Round 1, No. 12 ($72,455)
• Round 2, No. 19 ($69,267)

DT’s decision

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Let’s not beat around the bush. The looming question around the Mercury’s offseason is undoubtedly that of the greatest of all time, Diana Taurasi, who brought three championships to the city of Phoenix, may be hanging up her jersey. She hasn’t spoken on her thought process since October, when she signaled that she was still considering her future.

As bright as Taurasi has shined in her career, this decision is not one of life or death for the Mercury. Her efficiency as a shooter has wavered in the past four seasons, and her 14.9 points per game average, while impressive at age 42, was her lowest mark of the last 12 years. She’s taken a back seat not only to Brittney Griner, but also to Kahleah Copper.

If DT laces them up one more time, Phoenix may look for more “win now” moves this offseason. If the 2024 season was it, the Mercury could be more comfortable in their future outlook, and focus on collecting younger players with potential for growth, or tradable assets. They hold final pick of the first round in the 2025 draft due to a pick-swap with the Liberty, in addition to second-round selection. Potentially, the organization could show interest in moving up in a stacked draft class.

Room to build

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Phoenix may not have much draft capital this year, but they certainly have two other luxuries: cap space and money. Only four players are on the payroll going into next season in the desert: Rebecca Allen, Natasha Cloud, Kahleah Copper and Sophie Cunningham. They have nearly $800,000 in cap space next season, which gives way to a number of potential directions for the franchise.

As mentioned before, that direction may be heavily swayed by the White Mamba’s retirement decision. Brittney Griner sits at a crossroads as well. She’s not under contract next year, and could easily explore new options if her running mate calls it quits. Regardless, even if the apocalypse that is losing two of your best three players in one offseason happens to dawn on Phoenix, an intentional tank job just isn’t in the cards. They don’t own their first-round draft pick in 2026, and late-round talent is notoriously unreliable in the WNBA. That means that the Mercury should be spending. The question is, on who?

I would expect Phoenix to target a partial rebuild, refreshing the roster with notably younger talent while still chasing playoff berths. Copper has proven to be a viable offensive engine and go-to scorer, and Cloud and Cunningham are probably above-average role players in the league. They could take a shot at Satou Sabally, but many voices seem to expect Sabally to favor an outright title contender. Gabby Williams isn’t young, but could fit a retooling timeline nicely and offer Copper some shot-creation support if the Mercury were able to pry her away from her Seattle affinities.

Taking shots in the dark at who the Mercury may pursue feels like a somewhat pointless, although fun, game, because they could really do anything given their cap space and roster spots. With that being said, don’t be shocked if Phoenix makes a move on one of the bigger names in free agency, especially if Taurasi and Griner’s nameplates are still hanging up in the Footprint Center locker room come May.

*Thanks to Her Hoop Stats for all roster information and salary numbers.