Six-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi announced her retirement after 20 seasons on February 25, 2025, with an estimated net worth of $3.5 million.
Diana Taurasi stepped away a year before the WNBA’s financial boom in player salaries.
This boost comes from an 11-year, $2.2 billion media-rights deal agreed upon by the WNBA and the NBA, which will begin next season and significantly enhance the league’s revenue.
Although the details of Taurasi’s career earnings remain unclear, WNBA star Taurasi earned almost $1.4 million over the last eight years, per Spotrac.
Likewise, Diana was the fifth-highest-paid WNBA player in 2024, with a salary of $234,936.
In Taurasi’s early years, WNBA salaries were even lower than today, despite ongoing criticism about player pay.
As the No. 1 pick in 2004, Taurasi’s base salary was $40,800 in her rookie season, whereas the 2024 No. 1 pick, Caitlin Clark, earned approximately $76,500 last season.
Nonetheless, Taurasi has solidified her name in the basketball scene with her outstanding skills.
11-Time All-Star Diana Taurasi Signed Her Final Two-Year Deal Worth $469,872 With the Phoenix Mercury in 2023!
Taurasi’s journey in the WNBA began in 2004 when Phoenix Mercury drafted her first overall.
Her rookie contract earned her around $43,000 to $45,000. Over the years, her salary increased significantly, reflecting her growing influence and success in the league.
By 2021, Taurasi was earning the WNBA’s supermax salary of $221,450. Throughout her career, Taurasi signed several hefty contracts with the Mercury.
In 2017, she signed a four-year extension worth $466,000, averaging $116,500 annually.
Her final contract before retirement was a two-year deal worth $469,872, with an average annual salary of $234,936.
In addition to her WNBA earnings, Taurasi played overseas during the offseasons, where she accumulated much higher salaries.
One of her most notable contracts was with UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where she earned $1.5 million for a single season in 2015. This deal paid her over ten times her WNBA salary.
Not to forget, her several high-profile brand endorsements have contributed significantly to her net worth, with top-tier endorsements ranging between $100,000 and $250,000 per year.
Taurasi has been associated with major brands like Nike, Bodyarmor, and Cox Communications.
Nike has been Taurasi’s long-term partner since 2014. Her association with the brand has not only enhanced her financial standing but also solidified her status as an icon in women’s basketball.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Point Guard Diana Taurasi and her wife, Penny Taylor, are proud parents of two kids.
- Perry Taylor was married to Rodrigo Rodrigues Gil before tying the knot with Diana in 2017.
- Diana is of Argentine and Italian descent. Her mother, Liliana Taurasi, is from Argentina, and her father, Mario Taurasi, is from Italy but was raised in Argentina.
