Diana Taurasi, one of the most well-known names in women’s basketball, joined the WNBA in 2004. Her brilliant career is littered with awards and achievements. Most notably, she accomplished the incredible milestone of 10,000 points in the WNBA on August 3, 2023. It’s a path distinguished by unwavering dedication, passion, and unparalleled success.
The WNBA legend was the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft. She didn’t let anyone down in her first season, winning Rookie of the Year. The Phoenix Mercury guard is in her 17th season in the league and has three WNBA championships to her name. She is not only the WNBA’s all-time greatest scorer, but she is also one of the best three-point shooters in the league.
Beginning in 2004, Taurasi scored 26 points and guided the Mercury to an 84-76 victory over the Seattle Storm in her WNBA debut. The rookie averaged 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season. Even though the Mercury did not make the playoffs, Taurasi was chosen to the Western Conference All-Star team and won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Diana has made 1,860 three-pointers, which is the most in WNBA history. Her two WNBA Finals MVPs and three championships add to her legendary stature.
Diana Taurasi becomes the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 points
At the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Thursday night, Taurasi scored her 10,000th regular-season point, sparking wild celebrations from the crowd and her teammates. Taurasi scored a season-high 42 points to close the game as the Mercury defeated the Atlanta Dream 91-71 to end a four-game losing streak.
The 41-year-old player told reporters that she just played basketball because she enjoyed it. She stated that she didn’t give the numbers much thought. She is now 2,500 points ahead of Tina Thomson in second place after scoring 10,024 points. Taurasi’s lifetime average is 19.1, and when she had the chance to shine against Atlanta, she did not let anyone down.
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
In her native Los Angeles, Taurasi broke Tina Thompson’s record in the presence of basketball legend Kobe Bryant in 2017. Bryant gave her the nickname “White Mamba” as a play on his nickname, “Black Mamba.”
Taurasi was the most unstoppable scorer the league had ever seen when she was in her heyday. She averaged more than 20 points per game seven times throughout her career, which is more than any other player. Her 25.3 points per game in 2006 set a league record for the highest-scoring single season. Taurasi, who is now 41, is no longer the dominant offensive force that she once was, but as of Thursday, she was still averaging 16.1 points per game, good for 19th in the league.