"We used to get fined if we had ripped jeans on": Diana Taurasi sheds light on how WNBA’s dress code once tried to curb personal expression

Diana Taurasi became the newest legend in the WNBA world after she decided to hang up her boots and walk away from the hardwood. The Phoenix Mercury's most loyal player has played for more than two decades in the WNBA and serves as a perfect example of the league's cultural evolution.

Taurasi started her career in the WNBA after being drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft. She has seen many changes in the league, and in an interview with Ringer on Wednesday, she discussed the evolution of the league's dressing code over the years.

The interviewer asked Taurasi about her dressing sense from early in her career to today, which went from feminine to more self-expressive, before asking her about an unofficial dress code that Sue Bird had mentioned once.

"Oh, it was official," Taurasi said. "We used to get fined, if we had ripped jeans on. On road trips you had to be dressed in slacks and penny loafers and a button up."

The Mercury legend later revealed that she slipped away from following the code as she used to ask for business class flights if the league wanted her to dress like a businesswoman.

She also emphasized the importance of self-expression and said that dressing just like a person wants enables them to be their best version of themselves and also for the people around them.

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Diana Taurasi makes a powerful statement on Paige Bueckers amid the Wings' new star's rookie season

Diana Taurasi made a powerful statement on Paige Bueckers as the Wings rookie explores her rookie season in the WNBA. Taurasi appeared on Wednesday's episode of the "In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams" podcast, where she expressed her thoughts on Bueckers' journey in the professional world.

"To see the maturation of Paige in those four-and-a-half years and what that kid went through with injuries and the expectations and the pressures of playing in Connecticut," Taurasi said. "She can cultivate, galvanize a team and really tap into the best of her teammates, that skill, that skill is uncharted waters. So excited to see her play in the WNBA."

Diana Taurasi and Paige Bueckers share the same roots at the college basketball level. They have both players for the UConn Huskies under legendary D1 NCAA basketball coach, Geno Auriemma.

Bueckers made her debut for the Wings in their season opener against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday. She has played in three games and is averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.