In her 19th WNBA season, American basketball player Diana Taurasi had broken yet another milestone. She surpassed the legendary Michael Jordan‘s US pro-basketball record. LeBron James is recognized as the second Michael Jordan in the field of basketball, and it was his dream to follow in his footsteps and surpass his record. But it seems Taurasi surpassed it way before he could have.
Taurasi became the oldest WNBA player to score 40 points during Phoenix Mercury’s 91-71 victory over Atlanta Dream. She also broke Cynthia Cooper’s record, who scored 36 points in a game in 1999 at the age of 36 years and 124 days.
She made 57.1% of her shots, hitting 6-13 from beyond the arc. All 12 of the free throws that the three-time WNBA champion attempted were made. Notably, Taurasi had other accomplishments that evening as well. She also became the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 points, making history.
Only one other NBA player—Michael Jordan—has ever reached 40 points in a single game at an advanced age. He did it in 2003 while playing for the Washington Wizards. Taurasi’s record-breaking performance saw her score 42 points, grab 4 rebounds, and hand out 3 assists.
In his final NBA campaign on February 21, 2003, Michael Jordan scored a season-high 43 points while playing for the Wizards. At the time he accomplished that, he was 40 years and 4 days old.
In addition to making all of his two-point tries and 7-8 free throws, Jordan shot 18-30 overall. The six-time winner also contributed 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals, and he led Washington to an unexpected 89-86 victory.
Britney Griner was out due to mental health issues, thus Taurasi skillfully led her team’s charge to a convincing victory over a superior foe. This was one of the Mercury’s best moments of the year because they haven’t had a lot going for them this season.
Michael Jordan mocked Diana Taurasi when she was 18 years old
Michael Jordan tended to engage in his fair share of verbal abuse during his legendary NBA career. Even one of the finest WNBA players in history took a beating from him.
Diana Taurasi was chosen to play H-O-R-S-E on the final day of camp. To qualify for a free pair of Jordans, you had to make 10 consecutive shots from various positions on the floor and then score a free throw.
Taurasi competed for a chance to win a free pair of shoes in 1999 while she was at Jordan’s training facility. However, she failed to make it after blowing a free throw.
“So I get picked to do around the world. You start at the baseline, 15-footer, and knocked it down. Elbow? Easy. Free throw whatever. Elbow, baseline, 3-pointer, top of the key three, baseline three. I get up to [the free throw]. Clank. I missed the damn free throw for a free pair of Jordans. He goes ‘Nice try. Next.” (h/t via Clutch Points)
A year later, Jordan asked Taurasi, “How’re your free throws doing?“, when she attended the camp again as a counselor. Taurasi felt “mortified” by that question, but it also made her chuckle. Jordan was “just being Jordan,” according to her, and it served as a reminder of his fierce competitiveness.