WNBA's Diana Taurasi vows to keep playing: 'When I'm done playing I'm just going to stop playing.'

Diana Taurasi is not calling it quits anytime soon.

"I'll let you guys know when I'm done because you're not gonna see me anymore," the Phoenix Mercury guard said Wednesday during media day. "When I'm done playing I'm just going to stop playing. I'm not going to ease my way out."

Taurasi, who enters her 18th year in the WNBA when the season begins next week, says she plans on "playing for a while."

"I want to play, and when I suck, I won't play," she told reporters. "Trust me, I'll be in those workouts in the winter and be like, 'Hmm, that's it.'"

Taurasi, 39, is in the final year of a two-year contract extension she signed prior to the 2021 season.  "I still feel like I have a little bit left," Taurasi continued, "and a lot to do."

As the No. 1 overall pick in the draft out of UConn in 2004, the league star has racked up three WNBA titles, 10 WNBA All-Star and All-WNBA First Team nods. Taurasi also won league MVP in 2009 and is a five-time Olympic gold medalist.

Taurasi has played in 472 career WNBA games and needs 28 to pass No. 2 DeLisha Milton-Jones. And she is 78 games behind No. 1 Sue Bird's 549 games. Taurasi was the first WNBA player to score 9,000 career points last season. She has 9,174 career points; No. 2 Tina Thompson has 7,488 career points.

Contact Analis Bailey at aabailey@usatoday.com or on Twitter @analisbailey.