Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi. The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard: WNBA All-Star Game isn't real without Diana Taurasi

By Adam Stites | Last updated 6/30/22

Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard is facing backlash from many, including one of her own players, for saying the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game is illegitimate without Diana Taurasi.

Taurasi, 40, is a 10-time All-Star, second most in WNBA history behind only Sue Bird. This season, Taurasi was left off the All-Star roster after failing to finish among the top 10 vote-getters at guard. Nygaard ripped the decision in a postgame press conference Wednesday.

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— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 30, 2022

"I reiterate that [Taurasi] should be an All-Star and that there will be a game in Chicago, but it will not be an All-Star Game because Diana Taurasi is not playing."

Nygaard's comments were criticized as disrespectful to the players who earned All-Star honors, including Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who made her sixth All-Star Game. On Thursday night, Diggins-Smith retweeted the video of Nygaard's comments about the game with a clown emoji.

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— Skylar Diggins-Smith (@SkyDigg4) July 1, 2022

Diggins-Smith leads Phoenix in scoring this season with 18.7 points per game along with 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. Nygaard became the Mercury head coach in January.

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