Taurasi calls it quits | USWNT battles Japan | Bueckers's title odds

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DT hangs it up

Diana Taurasi is calling it quits, the WNBA legend told TIME on Tuesday, officially retiring from basketball after an exceptionally decorated and lengthy college and professional career.

• “Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” Taurasi said in the exclusive interview. “That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full and I’m happy.”

Big picture: Taurasi retires first and foremost as a winner, earning three straight NCAA championships with UConn before going No. 1 overall to Phoenix in 2004, where she led the Mercury to three WNBA titles over the course of her 20-year tenure with the team.

• The 42-year-old also picked up six consecutive Olympic gold medals — all without ever losing a single Olympic matchup.

• In addition to her domestic efforts, Taurasi played a prominent role in the European game, winning six Euroleague titles as well as multiple championships with teams in Russia and Turkey.

Individual nods: Taurasi exits the court as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, as well as a one-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, 11-time All-Star, and a two-time NCAA Most Outstanding Player, among other honors.

• In a statement, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert called Taurasi “one of the greatest competitors to ever play the game of basketball on any stage.”

A legacy fulfilled: Having helped build the WNBA into what it is today, Taurasi continues to embody a competitor’s perspective on the game she leaves behind.

• “My scoring record or the six gold medals, someone’s going to come around that has the same hunger, the same addiction to basketball, and put those records in a different way, a different name,” she said in the interview. “That’s what sports is all about. That’s going to be fun to watch. Hopefully not soon.”

USWNT faces biggest test of 2025

The USWNT is gearing up for the year’s toughest matchup to date, taking on Japan in in pursuit of their eighth SheBelieves Cup title in tonight’s tournament final.

• The US needs a win to lift the trophy, while a surging Japan can secure the Cup with a draw thanks to a steep goal differential advantage.

• “It’s just the perfect game, it’s just what you want,” USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said after Sunday’s win over Australia. “Japan, you can see on current form, scoring lots of goals, the quality of their play is so, so high.”

Big picture: While the US is undoubtedly shooting for silverware, Hayes hasn’t lost sight of her plan to give less experienced players time to develop in a year without a major international tournament.

• “This is the perfect game for where we are at,” she told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s clash. “I am certain we will have to suffer, because the way they dominate the ball, the way they progress up the pitch, with their rotations, with their dynamic advantages. I’m looking forward to watching.”

A tough road: Japan’s roster features 2025 SheBelieves Golden Boot leader Mina Tanaka, who’s registered four goals and three assists over two games played — games where the Nadeshiko outscored their opponents 8-1.

• USWNT fans should expect more heavy roster rotation, after Hayes made history against the Matildas by swapping out the first match’s entire starting lineup.

Bottom line: The new-look national team has managed a perfect record so far this year, but coming up against a highly clinical Japan takes the competition to new heights — and makes the tournament title truly anyone’s game.

• The USWNT kicks off against Japan at 10:30 PM ET tonight, with live coverage on TBS.

Spirit scouts overseas talent

The Washington Spirit are building out their 2025 roster with an international slant, signing Mexico and CF Monterrey captain Rebeca Bernal to a three-year deal on Tuesday.

• Bernal joins eight other players — including fellow newcomers Japan’s Narumi Miura, Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun, Brazil’s Tamara Bolt, and Uganda’s Shadia Nankya — now occupying the Spirit’s allotted international slots.

Creating a culture: The 2024 NWSL Championship runners-up saw success last season, relying on a mix of USWNT stars like Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune and key global talent like Colombia’s Leicy Santos, Côte d'Ivoire’s Rosemonde Kouassi, and France’s Ouleye Sarr.

• Washington also looked abroad for a head coach, bringing in Jonatan Giráldez midseason off of a decorated run with FC Barcelona.

• Spirit owner and Kynisca Sports CEO Michele Kang has similarly expanded her soccer portfolio beyond US borders, buying controlling interests in Olympique Lyonnais and the London City Lionesses in recent years and setting a tone for the increasingly international club.

Bottom line: With the NWSL draft abolished and parity rising around the world, US teams are pulling from a wider player pool — and after last season’s finish, Washington appears to be betting on a modern, global philosophy to get them over the top in 2025.

In an all-new Sports Are Fun! presented by Intuit TurboTax, special guest host The Kid Mero joins Kelley O’Hara and Greydy Diaz to talk UConn superstar Paige Bueckers's ongoing quest for an NCAA title.

• “If I’m P Buckets, I'm like, ‘Yo, listen, I've done everything, I've eclipsed DT in the record books,’” Mero said of the projected 2025 No. 1 draft pick. "Y’all know the history of UConn — it’s like the Yankees of women's basketball. To have your name as a championship winner, to have all these records, that’s the complete package.”

• The crew also tackles the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup run, trash talk in the women's game, Mabrey's trade denial, and so much more.

Watch more: "Does Paige Need a Title?" on Sports Are Fun!

NCAA drops Final Four details

As the 2025 Final Four nears, the NCAA, Tampa Bay Sports Commission, University of South Florida, and ESPN jointly announced event details on Tuesday.

• The national semifinals will descend upon three-time Women’s Final Four host Tampa once again on April 4th, tipping off at 7 PM ET live on ESPN.

• The championship game is set for April 6th at 3 PM ET, with ABC providing coverage for the third year in a row.

Around town: In addition to the matchups, the weekend features the return of fan events like Tourney Town, the Super Saturday Concert, and more off-court action.

• “Our championship campus has transformed since the last time we hosted in 2019,” said Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins. “We have a compact and walkable footprint ideal for this championship, and we can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for the student-athletes and fans.”

‘GQ’ puts Bueckers on the cover

Star UConn senior Paige Bueckers graced the cover of GQ Hype this week, pairing a wide-ranging photo spread with Bueckers’s take on championship expectations, fashion, basketball culture, and more.

• “You see UConn win national championship after national championship, and they make it look super easy,” she said. “I’ve learned since I came here, it’s actually extremely hard.”

Big picture: As one of the NCAA’s top NIL earners and the projected No. 1 WNBA draft pick, Bueckers strives to make an impact both on and off the court.

• “I feel like a lot of people shy away from having those conversations,” she added, commenting on her 2021 ESPYS speech centering Black athletes in women’s sports. “To use my platform to do that, I thought was very important.”

Quote of the day

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon
on playing alongside newly retired WNBA great Diana Taurasi.