Phoenix Mercury star, Diana Taurasi is the primary participant within the historical past of womens basketball to attain 10,000 factors in Phoenix’s win over Atlanta
August 4, 2023
Notoriously recognized for her hair in a decent bun, Diana Taurasi began her collegiate profession with the Connecticut Huskies. The six-foot guard was chosen first total, within the 2004 WNBA draft, chosen by the Phoenix Mercury. Since then, Diana Taurasi is a three-time WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, former MVP (2009), and far more. Taurasi, 41, is in her nineteenth season within the WNBA, all with the identical group. The guard is the all-time WNBA scoring chief, virtually 2500 factors forward of Tina Thompson. Final night time, Diana Taurasi turned first WNBA participant ever to ever 10,000 factors in historical past. The Pheonix Mercury defeated the Atlanta Dream 91-71.
Diana Taurasi tonight:
🐐 First WNBA participant with 10K PTS🐐 Profession-high 42 PTS in regulation🐐 First 40-point sport since 2010🐐 Oldest participant in WNBA historical past to drop 40 pic.twitter.com/FnoeQAMyFF
— ESPN (@espn) August 4, 2023
Odds: How Diana Taurasi scored her 10,000th basket
Diania Taurasi has a profession night time
A historic second 🙌
Looking at each bucket that received @DianaTaurasi to 10k profession factors!#MoreThanGame pic.twitter.com/eHd1JdBgCX
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 4, 2023
Diana Taurasi made WNBA historical past final night time, and hit 10,000 factors, one thing no girl has carried out within the historical past {of professional} basketball. The chances had been favored for a three-point area aim, which is strictly what occurred. With 9,997 factors down, and eight:23 left within the third quarter, Taurasi hit a three-pointer on an off-ball display, set by teammate, Brianna Turner.
The WNBA legend had an evening to recollect. Taurasi had her first 40 plus level sport since 2010, and completed with a season-high 42 factors, on 6-13 three-point, and 12-21 area aim capturing. The Guard additionally made it to the road twelve instances, during which she shot 100%. Taurasi, a profession 36.4 % three-point shooter, hit 46 % from downtown final night time.
On Thursday night time, the UConn and Mercury star had her fourth 40-point sport, during which she was the oldest to take action in historical past (41 years outdated). Put up sport, Taurasi was greeted with items, and a video tribute, from previous coaches, teammates, pals, and household.
Diana Taurasi turned an all-time UConn nice.
On today in 2003:
Diana Taurasi placed on a efficiency throughout UConn’s 63-62 time beyond regulation win in opposition to Tennessee pic.twitter.com/ekjvqUzDQf
— Simply Ladies’s Sports activities (@justwsports) January 4, 2023
A California native, Taurasi got here to the College Connecticut to play underneath Head Coach Geno Auriemma. In all three seasons, the purpose guard led the Huskies to 3 straight nationwide championships, from 2001-2004, during which she was the two-time NCAA most excellent participant. In her UConn tenure, Taurasi averaged 16.5 factors, 1.2 steals, 4.9 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 111 profession video games. The faculty basketball star was a 39 % three-point, and 45.6 area aim shooter. Her total report underneath Coach Auriemma was 139-8. Diana Taurasi was one of many best gamers to ever play for the College of Connecticut, and have become the primary UConn participant to attain 2,000 factors, together with different profession accolades.
The Phoenix Mercury selects Diana Taurasi first total within the 2004 WNBA Draft
The UConn star was chosen first total by the Phoenix Mercury in 2004. The WNBA inaugural season was in 1997, and Taurasi was an WNBA pioneer, and altered the league for the higher. She went on to win the rookie of the yr award, in 2004.
In her profession, all with the Mercury, Taurasi was a frontrunner, WNBA Champion, ten-time WNBA all-star, and a member of the fifteenth, twentieth, and twenty fifth anniversary groups.
Outdoors of the WNBA, the Mercury star is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and has a number of accolades in her time with Russia and Turkey abroad.
Taurasi on her profession night time
Earlier than she hit the milestone, Taurasi sat down with ESPN, and talked about her love for the sport of basketball, and why she’s performed previous the age of forty.
“I did not intend to play this lengthy, for any title, for any sort of status or honor. I simply performed as a result of I am a child who loves basketball,” mentioned Taurasi.
No. 3 talked concerning the shot that sealed historical past. “However I am sort of pleased it occurred with a 3. I am pleased that somebody set a display. I am pleased that somebody handed me the ball. That is how basketball is performed, with everybody having a bit half, and it is good.” (ESPNS Josh Weinfuss).
Now, with 10,024 whole profession factors, Diana Taurasi is underneath contract with the Phoenix Mercury, for no less than two extra seasons. The UConn and Mercury legend is a ladies’s basketball trailblazer and paved the best way for the following era. Is it a coincidence that quantity three hit a three-pointer to attain 10,000 factors? Perhaps so. Diana Taurasi is among the all-time WNBA greats, and probably the greatest to ever play the sport of girls’s basketball.
Keep tuned for extra WNBA associated articles.
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at BallisLife, and Sports activities Content material Creator on Twitch. She has a give attention to the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane at the moment resides in Connecticut along with her Cat and Canine. She is a Boston Celtics, New York Liberty, Boston Bruins, New York Yankees, and New York Giants fan. SJ has her undergraduate diploma from the College of Connecticut in Economics.
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