With her 18th point Thursday against the Atlanta Dream, Diana Taurasi has passed the threshold of 10,000 regular-season points in her WNBA career. She is the first player in league history to reach that mark, doing so in her 19th season, all of which have come for the Phoenix Mercury.
Since entering the league as the No. 1 draft pick in 2004 out of Connecticut, Taurasi has revolutionized the shooting guard position. She was one of the WNBA’s first true three-level scorers and her 2006 campaign remains the greatest single season for any scorer in league history. She set marks for points per game (25.3), total points (860) and 3-point makes (121) that still stand today.
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The 10-time All-Star was voted as the WNBA’s Greatest of All-Time by the fans in 2021, during the league’s 25th season. Since then, she has led the Mercury to another Finals appearance and helped extend the franchise’s playoff streak to 10 consecutive years, though that mark is in jeopardy this season with Phoenix sitting at 6-19 entering Thursday’s game.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Taurasi has been the league’s all-time leading scorer since 2017, when she passed the record of 7,488 points held by Tina Thompson.
- No active player is within even 3,000 points of Taurasi’s total. The closest is former Mercury teammate DeWanna Bonner, who is currently eighth on the all-time list with 6680 points.
- Taurasi is also the all-time leading scorer in WNBA postseason history with 1,455 points in the playoffs. She has won three championships in Phoenix (2007, 2009 and 2014) and advanced to another WNBA Finals in 2021.
- Taurasi finished Thursday’s game with 42 points, her first 40-point game since July 2010, and only the fourth of her career.
THE SHOT 👑@DianaTaurasi forever etches her name in #WNBA History as the first player to 10K career points!#MoreThanGame pic.twitter.com/AVByekTwaV
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 4, 2023
Reactions from around the league
“(She’s) genuinely in a league of her own because I feel like that’s what she’s been in the league,” Minnesota guard Kayla McBride said. “I just hope that she’s able to take that in and just kind of reflect on everything that she’s done for our league, how many young players she’s inspired, including myself, and just how much she’s changed this league from the time she got in it until 10,000 points later.”
“She’s meant everything (to the league),” Los Angeles Spark Chiney Ogwumike said. “I mean, she shows the full commitment of being a wire-to-wire hooper. What she has done for the game, whether it is, you know, collegiate to pro to championships to making the next generation better. The pro style of basketball, pulling up for 3s, challenging the rim, playing pick-and-roll with a dynamic post like (Brittney Griner). As we’ve seen, she’s really embodied that pro style and she’s lethal. And I think it’s cool that no matter what happens, you’re gonna see her knock down a 3, and you’re going to be mad at it. That’s what she brings out of her opponents, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.”
“On behalf of the WNBA and basketball fans worldwide, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Diana on reaching the incredible milestone of 10,000 points as she continues to author new chapters is an illustrious WNBA career,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “I have had the pleasure of watching her play first as a fan and now as Commissioner of the WNBA. Diana’s achievement stands as a testament to her skill, determination, and unwavering dedication to the game, which along with her competitive nature, has captivated fans with her incredible scoring ability, clutch performances, and unparalleled basketball IQ. We are honored to witness this milestone.”
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(Photo: Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
