PHOENIX — The Mercury and city of Phoenix had a press conference to officially announce they will host the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.
The Mercury last hosted the event in 2014, which was the same year they won their most-recent championship. Legendary guard Diana Taurasi was a part of that event and spoke Monday at Footprint Center about what it means to have the game back in Arizona.
“When I was a little kid, the year was 2000, and it was the first year that All-Star was here,” Taurasi said. “…And I just thought, ‘What an amazing place.'
“I just remember the energy that was in this building…to fast forward [this year] for this game to be back in this city, it just speaks volumes to (Mercury and Suns majority owner) Mat (Ishbia) and our organization that put everything forward for this city.”
Taurasi was made available to reporters immediately after a media conference in which she, Mercury and Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein and Downtown Phoenix Inc. president and CEO Devney Majerle spoke. She teased she could do the skills and 3-point challenges in the 2024 All-Star weekend.
“If I'm here, I'll do the skills or the 3-point contest, beer pong, whatever,” Taurasi joked.
Here is a video of Taurasi participating in the 2005 WNBA All-Star skills challenge.
Taurasi, who is 41 years old, has one year remaining on her contract. She talked about the possibility of playing an All-Star game in front of Phoenix.
“It would be nice,” she said. “I have one more year on my contract, and I hope to honor that. It's a big year, it's an Olympic year…I obviously would like to be wearing a jersey, so we'll see what happens.”
The Mercury have had a disappointing 2023 season. They are the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and had a coaching change this season.
Phoenix will not make the postseason but hopes to have a better 2024 season. The All-Star weekend could provide them some momentum.
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