An official announcement has yet to be made, but New York Liberty veteran Tanisha Wright seems destined toward retirement after 15 seasons.
Welcome back Tanisha Wright!
Tanisha, was recently named to our 20th Anniversary Team!#WeRepSeattle pic.twitter.com/KwGUzhVmzB
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) July 3, 2019
New York Liberty veteran guard Tanisha Wright appears to be retiring after 15 seasons in the WNBA. Wright, 35, has spent three years with the Liberty, including the 2019 campaign that ended on Sunday.
Wright has yet to make an official announcement or statement about her status. After the Liberty’s season finale, she hugged players on both the Liberty and the opposing Atlanta Dream. Wright insisted the hugs had no special meaning other than a simple commemoration of the season’s end.
“Nah, I’, taking everything day by day,” Wright said. “It was the end of the season, you know not making the playoffs, bittersweet. Just enjoying it, like I said, (it’s) day-by-day.”
Wright’s close friend and fellow New York City native Tina Charles posted an emotional multi-photo tribute on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2KwrsLF44O/
“Big sis! Congrats on an amazing career,” Charles’ accompanying caption begins. “I get asked all the time, “who is the most influential person in your life?” First thought is ALWAYS you.”
“The highs & lows of my career has been with you by my side and I’m not sure what it would reflect or where I would be without you! Much love Ta! Enjoy retirement my G!”
If this is truly the end for the Wright, she ends her career with 1,421 assists, good for 10th in WNBA history. In a career that was spent primarily with the Seattle Storm, Wright averaged 7.3 points and 3.1 assists. She was recently named to Seattle’s 20th-anniversary team.
Wright’s final shot was a three-pointer in the fourth quarter that helped the Liberty solidify a 71-63 victory to end the season. She put up eight points in the victory en route a 4.8 average in 30 games, including 16 starts.
The Penn State alumna joined the WNBA in 2005 as the 12th overall pick. 2010 saw Wright help take the Storm to a championship five years before she came to New York as a free agent. Wright spent two years with the Liberty before taking the 2017 season off. After a year with the Minnesota Lynx, Wright returned to New York this season via a three-team trade that sent Sugar Rodgers to Las Vegas. Her best performance came in an August 18 tilt against Phoenix, where she had 18 points and five assists.
Retirement will likely not mean a complete exit from basketball for Wright. She currently serves as an assistant coach for Charlotte University’s women’s basketball team.
Liberty head coach Katie Smith has called Wright “one of the best communicators on our team”.
“It may be (her last game). Again, for her, it’s getting to that point where she’s got to make that decision,” Smith said on Sunday. “She’s got a college team here that she coaches, so lots of good vibes thrown out to T right now.”
