Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi marries ex-teammate Penny Taylor

Aug 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Penny Taylor and Diana Taurasi (right) speak with the media at the stakeout position outside the West Wing after a ceremony honoring the 2014 WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury in the East Room at the White House. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Diana Taurasi married former Mercury teammate Penny Taylor over the weekend.

One day, Diana Taurasi will be a member of the WNBA Hall of Fame in Knoxville. Not only is she exceptionally good on-the-court with the Phoenix Mercury, but she has excelled with Team USA on the international level. In addition to her professional career taking off, Taurasi’s personal life followed suit. She and Penny Taylor, a retired WNBA player, exchanged some vows over the weekend, despite efforts in keeping the relationship behind closed doors.

This isn’t the first time Taurasi and Taylor have been spotted together. As teammates, they both would share time on the Phoenix Mercury roster for three seasons. During their first season together in 2004, both would be each other’s shadow as Taurasi led the team in points (578), while, Taylor paved the way in rebounds (160). That pattern continued up until the Mercury’s championship run in 2007, when Taylor departed Phoenix for Russia.

In fact, Taylor would play a game of hot potato with the Mercury. Since being drafted in 2001, Taylor alternated between playing on U.S. and international soil. Like Taurasi, Taylor would get a taste of silver during the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. But with her peak days behind her, Taylor decided to call it quits last season as a member of the Mercury. Once her career wrapped up, Taylor had accumulated 1,553 rebounds and 1,053 assists.

The experiences of Taylor’s new life partner varied from Taylor’s own. Diana Taurasi practically has her own library of WNBA honors. She also played pretty decently at UConn, a program that continues to dominate women’s college basketball to this day. But, like Taylor, she can’t be defined by statistics alone. Then again, she remains persistent within the WNBA, prohibiting her age from slowing her down.

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In terms of marriage, this isn’t Penny Taylor’s first go. Over 10 years ago, Taylor found herself involved with Rodrigo Rodrigues Gil, a professional beach volleyball player from Brazil. After three years of being together, though, they both split and moved on with their lives. Diana Taurasi, on the other hand, is unseasoned in long-term commitment. If Taylor has any advice for her new wife, then it’s to stop kissing her opponents, which Taurasi did back in 2013.

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