Diana Taurasi’s Last Dance Could be Spoiled Courtesy of Napheesa Collier & Minnesota Lynx’s "Elite" Play

Diana Taurasi's tryst with the retirement rumors started from the 2022 WNBA season onwards. After fellow icon Sue Bird announced her decision to end her pro journey in 2022, all eyes shifted to the California-born. Since then, Taurasi has tackled hundreds of questions on the same subject: sometimes evading them, at other times calling them disrespectful. However, this could actually be the last year for the 42-year-old star, as hinted during the Mercury's last regular season game, which could be ruined courtesy of Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx will be clashing against the Mercury in the first round, starting this Sunday.

Collier was present in a chat on ESPN's WNBA Hoop Streams on Friday when she was asked to shed light on what made the team special and how they could win the title. A reflective Collier shared how her team has fought together and pushed their defensive ability to another limit.

"I think we have to stick true to what got us here which is our defense. We've been so high and so Elite the entire year and even if we have the ebbs and flows in our offense, our defense is something that we've relied on so heavily, and so I think that's what we need to stay true to going into postseason," Collier stated.

Most of the games that the Lynx have played have been low-scoring, and the reason behind that is their exceptional defense. Their 6 players have found a place in the top 50 rebounders this season, with the highest being Collier's 9.7 rebounds per game and the lowest of those 6 being Bridget Carleton, who has 3.8 rebounds per game.

Even in blocks per game, 2 Lynx stars Alanna Smith and Collier have found themselves a spot in the top 6 with 1.5 and 1.4 blocks per game, respectively. Whereas in the steals average, their 3 stalwarts Collier, Smith, and Kayla McBride are in the top 20 with 1.9, 1.4, and 1.3 steals per game respectively.

"I think you just get closer and closer to the goal so you feel like it almost within your grasp. But I knew even from the training camp the potential that this team had... I could just tell that this group is different. The way that we mesh together, our chemistry on and off the floor just how hard we work for each other it's just been a different feeling that any other team I have been on and I know we have a real chance of winning this year," Collier enumerated while talking about her goals.

The Lynx started their season on an uneven note as they had to recruit Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams from the Chicago Sky. Nonetheless, Cheryl Reeve trusted the upcoming stars and gave them complete independence in their decisions on the court. This helped the Lynx find their chemistry, which was evident when the Lynx defeated last year's WNBA Finalists the New York Liberty in the Commission Cup Finale by a 94-89 margin.

Collier was named the MVP for her 21 points and 6 rebounds. Hence, it looks as if the Lynx will spoil Diana Taurasi's alleged last dance when they meet for the three-game series starting Sunday. However, it's not a certainty that DT will retire.

Is Diana Taurasi retiring? During the last regular-season game at the Footprint Center, Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbets, with the help of Brittney Griner & Co., convinced Taurasi to take the court during the fourth quarter . An initially reluctant Taurasi was motivated by the crowd with echoes of DT that resulted her in stepping on the hardwood. "One more year" chants were prevalent throughout her minimal time at the court and an emotional Taurasi was almost brought to tears.

All this, according to the fans, pointed to the fact that Taurasi could well be hanging her boots this season. However, if DT is to be believed then she is still confused between giving it another go or retiring from the sport she has loved since the age of 5. Revealing her take on the same, the 42-year-old has opined that "once the season's over, I'll have a better idea."

For now, Diana Taurasi will concentrate on winning the championship title one more time. But the main obstacle to her dreams is Collier and her team.