Every time she steps foot on the court, Phoenix Mercury fans get to watch one of the best to ever play the sport of basketball and break numerous amount of records along the way, Diana Taurasi.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In a 97-70 win over the Dallas Wings, Taurasi joined the elite company of NBA legend Michael Jordan as the only two players in NBA/WNBA history to score 20-plus points in a game 20 times after 40 years old.
Diana Taurasi ???? Michael Jordan
Two legends. @PhoenixMercury pic.twitter.com/pMsmIpVPWa
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 9, 2024
Taurasi may have played in the WNBA for two decades, but the way she has been playing this year is bringing back vibes of the vintage Diana Taurasi. This season, the UConn product is averaging 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds (career high) and 1.6 assists in all 12 games for Phoenix so far.
In nine of the games in 2024, she has scored in double digits, with five being 20-plus points. Against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 2, the soon-to-be 42-year-old reached a season-high of 31 points to make her the oldest player in NBA and WNBA history to score 30 or more points in a game.
“It’s special,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said about Taurasi’s accomplishment after the win vs. Dallas. “She’ll tell you, she is gonna be setting all these records because she has been doing it for so long at a high level. Credit to her, she played 39 minutes… That’s who she is, she’s addicted to this, she loves it. It is just a credit to her work.”
If she had a trophy cabinet commemorating her illustrious, 20-year career, it would be filled with some of the most prestigious honors any player can ever earn in the league. All with the Mercury, she is a three-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, a 10-time All-Star, 2004 Rookie of the Year, and so on.
Throughout her tenure in Phoenix, the California native has averaged 19.1 points, 4.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 541 games. She has started every game she has played in the WNBA to this point.
While she isn’t the primary floor general with Natasha Cloud taking the reigns this year, Taurasi has adapted and doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. Her high basketball IQ, ability to find teammates open with ease, ability to defend against the opposing team’s best players and her communication skills are unmatched.
With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in July and the Mercury past the quarter mark of the season, there is still plenty of work to be done for Taurasi internationally and in the WNBA for the world to see and recognize her greatness.
Kahleah Copper credits teammates for encouraging her down the stretch of games
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
