Swin Cash Reveals Retirement Plan: Latest Comments and Reaction

New York Liberty forward Swin Cash announced Tuesday that she's planning to retire following the 2016 WNBA season. 

Cash confirmed the decision with an article on the Players' Tribune. She called basketball her "first love," which gave her a chance to "inspire and empower" others. Now, she hopes to enjoy her final 27 games before making that same type of impact in her post-basketball life.

The 36-year-old veteran discussed how the sport has remained her anchor throughout a journey that included a tough upbringing and some of life's most difficult moments, which, for her, included a cancerous tumor on her kidney in 2007:

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This game I love saved my life after a cancer scare. It's provided for me and my family. It's given me championships in college and the pros. And it's asked me whether or not I had the tenacity and perseverance to compete with and against the greatest athletes in the world, and take home the prize of prizes: an Olympic gold medal. Twice.

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She's become one of the most decorated women's basketball players in the process. Along with her pair of Summer Olympics gold medals, she won two NCAA national championships at Connecticut and three WNBA titles during a pro career that's spanned 15 years.

Her list of accomplishments also includes a FIBA World Championship gold medal, four WNBA All-Star Game selections and being named the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2002 as the Huskies finished off a 39-0 campaign.

Those accolades helped Cash become a driving force as the WNBA, which was established in 1996, gained its footing in the American sports landscape. Being able to help build the game for future generations is something she discussed in her Players' Tribune announcement:

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I was part of the generation of players right after that inaugural wave, and we never forgot their legacy. I'm so proud now when I see my nieces dribble a basketball. That's something the women before me inspired. That's something I inspired. I would live this particular life all over again to ensure young women recognize and embrace the queens they are within.

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Cash has played for several teams during her WNBA tenure, including stints with the Detroit Shock, Seattle Storm, Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream before arriving in New York. She currently sits 22 points away from 5,000 in a career that's spanned 452 games.

The McKeesport, Pennsylvania, native stated she announced the decision now so she gets a chance to say goodbye during the final months of her career. She wants to show her gratitude to everybody who's helped her along the way.

Of course, the feeling will likely be mutual. Cash made a lasting impact on women's basketball at every level, and that ensures she'll leave quite a legacy once the Liberty's season comes to a close.