Russians pay Fenerbahçe’s former player to skip Women’s NBA

Diana Taurasi, a former Fenerbahçe player and three-time Olympic champion, said Tuesday she will skip the 2015 Women's NBA season for defending champion Phoenix Mercury while being paid to rest by her Russian club. The announcement, in a letter from Taurasi on the Mercury's website, said the 32-year-old guard plans will miss the 2015 campaign but return in 2016, when she also hopes to help the Americans win a sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Taurasi has played in the WNBA for 11 years and spent off-seasons playing in Europe, but this year is taking more money than she would have made in the WNBA from her Russian club, UMMC Ekaterinburg, to sit out and rest to be healthier for the next Russian campaign. "This was a decision I felt was in my best interest, both now and for the future," Taurasi said.

"The year-round nature of women's basketball takes its toll and the financial opportunity with my team in Russia would have been irresponsible to turn down. They offered to pay me to rest and I've decided to take them up on it."

ESPN reported she will make $1.5 million for sitting out but made just over $100,000 with the Mercury last season, when the team captured its third league crown, Taurasi having also help Phoenix win titles in 2007 and 2009. The rest could help her bid to play on a fourth consecutive US Olympic squad.

Taurasi has helped U.S. teams win Olympic gold in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and world titles in 2010 and last year. U.S. women have won six of the past eight world crowns and dominated Olympic play since taking a home-court gold in 1996.