In Phoenix Mercury legend Diani Taurasi, are actively witnessing one of the greatest WNBA players repeatedly etch her name into the history books.
During the Mercury’s 88-79 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday night, Taurasi became the first player in W history to score 9,000 career points.
DT etches her name in the history books once again 👏@dianataurasi becomes the first #WNBA player to reach 9,000 career PTS 🔥 #CountIt pic.twitter.com/6S6406EjvN
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 27, 2021
With 8:23 left in the second quarter, Taurasi drove and laid in a contested and-one to reach her 9,000th career point.
The next closest player on the league’s list is four-time champion Tina Thompson with 7,488 points, while Candice Dupree is the closest active player with 6,820 points.
Taurasi, a three-time WNBA champion, has long awaited a return to Phoenix’s starting lineup after suffering a fractured sternum on May 16. Taurasi returned to typical form in her first game back since the injury, dropping 25 points.
The 39-year-old has been a lone ranger at the top of the league’s charts for years, becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer in 2017. With a gargantuan trophy case and plethera of league records, the 11-time All-Star has her eyes set on grabbing 1,000 more points.
“I guess I’ll be happy if I get to 10,000,” Taurasi said. “That’s when I’ll really be happy and celebrate; I might even throw myself a party. But 9,000, I just feel like there’s a lot of work to be done.”
