Diana Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer and a six-time Olympic gold medalist, has always treated January 1 as the official start of her season prep. Each year, she dedicates four months to refining every aspect of her game before training camp with the Phoenix Mercury. But this New Year’s Day felt different.
“I just didn’t have it in me,” Taurasi, 42, tells TIME from her home in Phoenix. “That was pretty much when I knew it was time to walk away.”
Now, in an exclusive conversation with TIME, Taurasi is making it official—she’s retiring from basketball. “Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” says Taurasi, who spent her entire 20-year WNBA career with the Mercury. “That’s probably the best way I can describe it. I’m full, and I’m happy.” Read more here.