- Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi played the final head-to-head matchup of their WNBA careers Friday night.
- The WNBA legends and best friends shared a joint press conference after the Phoenix Mercury's win.
- They discussed their on-court strengths, their "epic battles" over 18 seasons, and their friendship.
For two decades, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have dominated the WNBA.
The five-time Olympic gold medalists have been best of friends off the court dating back to their college days with the UConn Huskies. But whenever they've stepped on the hardwood to lead two of the WNBA's dynasties in the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury, respectively, Bird and Taurasi have harbored one of the league's fiercest rivalries.
And Friday — 18 seasons, seven combined WNBA championships, several smashed records, and 60 head-to-head matchups later — The Greatest Duo shared the court for one final time.
Taurasi and the Mercury earned a surprise 94-78 home win in what was almost certainly their final game against a Bird-led Storm. The 41-year-old point guard has decided to retire at the end of the season and, as of now, Phoenix is not in position to earn a spot in the playoffs.
To commemorate their last matchup, the pair of legendary guards took the dais for a joint press conference — "the first" they've ever done alongside an opposing player — after the buzzer sounded at Footprint Center.
"I'm kinda glad it's over," Taurasi said with a smile, then turned to Bird.
"I've been saying this — it wasn't that different," Bird said. "There was no extra anything on this. I think of this as another game in the story of our WNBA 'rivalry' and I think of it more as a celebration. I don't think of it beyond that."
"I think we've had some pretty epic battles that'll go down in history," she later added.
But by Bird's own admission, the story of that WNBA rivalry has been an important one for the league. Though she's hesitated to be overly retrospective throughout the final games of her final season, the four-time WNBA champion admitted she hopes the legacy that she and Taurasi leave behind inspires young players "to be themselves" on the court and embrace their unique strengths.
Bird then lauded the skills that have made Taurasi — her college teammate and now WNBA all-time leading scorer — one of the greatest players in the history of the game:
"For D, specifically... part of what makes her great [is] that she's infectious," Bird said. "There's something contagious when [Taurasi's] flowing like that, hitting shots... doing finger guns. It gets her team going."
From Taurasi's perspective — which many would undoubtedly agree with — Bird is the consummate point guard. She makes everyone around her better, and she has the WNBA's all-time assists record to show for it.
"When you play a team with Sue on it, it's gonna be the most well-prepared team," Taurasi said. "It's gonna be the team that knows the other team the best and [she's] gonna put her teammates in the best position to win the game every night.
"It's hard to go against a person like that, because you know she's doing everything to win the game," she added. "There are a lot of players that play the game for points and rebounds — Sue plays to win."
And even though a part of her is grateful to know she won't have to square off against Bird again, Taurasi said that facing her best friend throughout her career has only made her a stronger player.
"The game doesn't matter unless you're playing to win, and that's what Sue's always done," Taurasi said. "She's taught me that.
"It's been an incredible ride," she added. "In any profession, when you get to do something with your best friend for 20 years, life's good."
Fans can watch their full press conference below: