A league’s all-time leading scorer who led her team to three championship titles, the magnitude of Diana Taurasi’s departure made perfect sense. However, just a few games into the new season, it seems the team has sufficiently filled the void. The Mercury are now second in the Western Conference at 3–1. Simply put, they’re pursuing their first winning season since 2021. But if you ask Taurasi, she’s changed sides.

With three championship rings, two Finals MVPs, a regular season MVP, and five scoring titles, Diana Taurasi knows her league. So when she appeared on the We Meet to Talk Now podcast, Ashley Nicole Moss asked her a straightforward question about her early WNBA Finals prediction. Taurasi didn’t hesitate to deliver a cold verdict.

“I’m going to go with a New York Liberty versus Minnesota rematch. I’m going to go with that. That’s an early-season, speaking-too-early prediction,” shared the Olympic gold medalist.

Indeed, both teams were electric last year. While Liberty took the series 3–2, the Minnesota Lynx gave them a tough fight. Even at the end, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve believed, “This s–t was stolen from us,” after the momentum swayed based on an officiating call. This year, neither is backing down again.

Combined 9 games into the season, both Liberty and Lynx remain undefeated, 4-0 and 5-0, respectively. And the power rankings side with Taurasi, where the teams trail each other with every game.

Natasha Cloud, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 2.7 steals on 55/50/90 shooting splits, is keeping the engine roaring for New York. And after downing a regular season record 19 threes in the game against the Sky, don’t be surprised they are topping the charts with 112.4 offensive rating. Moreover, it isn’t just the new acquisition working the floor for them. In their most recent game against the Valkyries, Brenna Stewart led the scoring with 24 points while Jonquel Jones contributed a double-double. They have got Sabrina Ionescu averaging over 15 points, too.

But the Lynx aren’t letting them have it easy. Already unbeaten at 4 games, the Chreyl Reeve-led side had Kayla McBride joining them to hold off the Seattle Storm. In her regular season debut, the star guard put up 15 points, 3 assists, and a rebound– the HC has her last campaign’s starting line up back.

Phee is looking unstoppable. Alanna Smith matched her with 16 points, while Courtney Williams led with 23. And interestingly, the last time they started a season on a 4-0 winning note, the Lynx went on to grab the title. So, even just 10 days into the 2025 season, it’s already neck and neck. That’s exactly why Taurasi’s prediction makes sense. But that is not to say the icon is not holding hopes for her own.

Diana Taurasi isn’t ditching loyalty

“You know that’s my team for life. I’m always rooting for them. I’m going to be cheering them on all summer,” Taurasi expressed in a recent episode of The Athletic’s Women’s Basketball Show. So, when she named teams other than the Mercury as her early WNBA Finals picks, it stung a little. Maybe not because she chose a team (Lynx) that knocked them out of the playoffs last season with a 2-0 sweep, but because the Mercury hasn’t managed to retain its spot since the 2014 title.

It looks a little more bleak after losing both Taurasi and Brittney Griner, but Kahleah Copper is still holding up people’s hopes. DT’s, too. “Once we get (Kahleah Copper) back, I’m really excited for this new team,” she said. Copper, who led the team with 21.1 points per game last season, has been a crucial presence. But even in her absence, the Mercury have been holding their ground. Alyssa Thomas is leading from the front, while Sataou Sabally has taken the reins offensively.

Currently, the Mercury sit 3rd on the table, only next to Liberty and the Lynx. That’s a fair start without their star player. But the real test? When they face the Lynx 4 times and the Liberty 3. Who knows, if Copper is back by then, Phoenix might even pleasantly surprise their legend.