PHOENIX — When Mercury star Diana Taurasi came off a screen near the right wing outside the 3-point line early in the third quarter Thursday night, she was sitting at 9,997 career points and starting to heat up. Her mind was thinking about one thing: Shoot the ball.
Nothing was going to stop her from taking a shot the next time the ball came her way.
When teammate Moriah Jefferson hit Taurasi, covered by a double-team, with a pass 28 feet from the basket, Taurasi, in typical fashion, let it fly. She made the 3-pointer with 8:23 left in the third quarter to become the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 points.
“At that point, I was just trying to find a good shot — or a bad shot,” Taurasi said. “It was going up.
“But I’m kind of happy it happened with a 3. I’m happy that someone set a screen. I’m happy that someone passed me the ball. That’s how basketball is played, with everyone having a little part, and it’s perfect.”
Taurasi was as perfect as could be in the Mercury’s 91-71 win over the Atlanta Dream at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix, snapping a four-game losing streak. The outcome never mattered, though. The 7,564 people in attendance, who had the chance to see literal goats at a petting zoo set up behind one of the baskets, came to see one thing and one thing only: Taurasi make history — again.
She did that and then some.
Taurasi finished with 42 points, her most in a game since 2010 and the most she has scored in regulation in her career. Her season high was also her first 40-point game since July 14, 2010, according to ESPN Stats & Information. At age 41, she is the oldest player with a 40-point game in WNBA history.
She now has 10,024 points for her career and counting.
“It was a cool night,” Taurasi said. “You couldn’t have wrote this any better, for our fans and for our city.”
Taurasi started the game relatively slow. She came into Thursday needing 18 points to hit 10,000. She scored five points in the first quarter and another five in the second. She came alive after halftime, scoring five points — including a 3 at the buzzer of the 24-second clock — in 66 seconds. Then came the history-making 3.
Already the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, Diana Taurasi became the first in league history to eclipse 10,000 points Thursday night. She is the only active player in the top five.
She didn’t stop there, though.
Taurasi had 32 points in the second half, the second most in any half in WNBA history.
After the game, Taurasi said she didn’t think much at all about reaching 10,000 points, including during the game. Her mom, Lily, however, wouldn’t let her forget it.
“After the game my mom will be like, ’49 more points, do that tomorrow.’ … ‘OK, mom,'” Taurasi said with a laugh. “Or my sister, and then trying to plan it out of when it’s going to happen and [wife] Penny [Taylor] and the kids are in Australia for family things, but it happened when it happened, and it was a great night for our city.”
Taurasi’s 10,000th point came on the 1,344th 3-point field goal of her WNBA career. The only other player in league history with at least 1,000 3-pointers is Sue Bird with 1,001.
“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 [in] an illustrious WNBA career,” league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”
After Taurasi hit the 3 to reach 10,000 points, she sauntered down the court with her arms spread wide. The game was paused so Mercury general manager Jim Pitman could present Taurasi with the game ball and a small celebration could take place with her teammates. Streamers, facing away from the court, were shot off.
During timeouts, brief videos played of Taurasi’s teammates congratulating her.