George Kittle's wife Claire pens inspirational message as WNBA legend Diana Taurasi announces retirement 

WNBA legend Diana Taurasi recently announced her retirement, shocking women’s basketball fans around the world, including San Francisco 49ers’ tight-end George Kittle’s wife, Claire Kittle.

Moved by the legend’s contribution to the game, she shared an inspirational message for the three-time WNBA champion on her Instagram story on Tuesday:

“My idol my whole life. A trailblazer for the game. Thank you for the joy you brought so many watching you play. It was pure magic. #3 will always be iconic because of you," Kittle wrote.

George Kittle's wife Claire Kittle's message for Diana Taurasi on retirement announcement (Source: @clairekittle/Instagram)

The Phoenix Mercury legend announced her retirement from the WNBA during an interview with TIME's Sean Gregory.

“Mentally and physically, I’m just full,” Taurasi said.

She finished her career as the leading all-time scorer while playing 20 seasons for the same team. Acknowledging her contributions to the league, ESPNW shared a congratulatory post on Instagram for the two-time WNBA winner. They captioned all her major career achievements and records.

“Defenses rejoice. The incredible career of @dianataurasi has come to an end. WNBA MVP. 14x All-WNBA, 11x WNBA All-Star, 3x NCAA Champion, 3x WNBA Champion, 2x WNBA Finals MVP, 2004 First Overall Pick, WNBA Rookie of the Year, 6x Olympic Gold Medalist, 5x WNBA Scoring Champion and WNBA All-Time Leading Scorer.”

ESPNW also shared an inspiring message for Taurasi in the picture:

“The only way to stop her, was to wait for the end. That’s a W.”

Claire Kittle left basketball due to a knee injury

Claire Kittle played basketball during her high-school days at Wahlert Catholic High School and finished as their third all-time high scorer before joining the University of Iowa. She played for the Hawkeyes, averaging 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game before a knee injury ended her career prematurely.

She wrote about her injury in her blog, "Letty Set Go" in 2017:

“Without awful knees I know I would have accomplished more on the basketball court, but because of the trials my knees brought, I am the strongest person I know,” Kitle wrote.

However, she continues to follow basketball accompanied by her husband, George Kittle. Last year, the couple was spotted at a game between Iowa University and West Virginia, where they took pictures with current WNBA star and former Hawkeyes icon Caitlin Clark.