As Diana Taurasi chooses to carry on her legendary career with the Phoenix Mercury, she will continue to make history along her journey in the WNBA.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Sunday after the Mercury beat the Seattle Storm 87-78, Taurasi became only the third player in WNBA history to reach 300 wins. Women’s basketball icons Sue Bird (333) and Lindsay Whalen (323) did so before Taurasi accomplished the major milestone.
300 wins. All in a Phoenix Mercury Uniform ???? pic.twitter.com/oOACswINyq
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) June 17, 2024
This is just one monumental feat the 20-year veteran has captured this year. Taurasi tied and eventually overtook Michael Jordan for most 20-plus point games in WNBA and NBA history over the age of 40 (21 games), she is the oldest player to score 30-plus points in a game and notched 500 steals in her career.
“When I think of DT, I think ‘winner,’ that’s who she is,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said about Taurasi on Sunday. “She prides herself on that. You can talk a lot of different things about a basketball player, but the thing I hear DT talk about the most is winning. That’s the most important thing. Hopefully before it is all done [retires], she becomes No. 1 on that list. I think she’d be most proud of that.”
With showing no signs of retirement being considered, the three-time WNBA champion will look to guide Phoenix back to the playoffs after a 9-31 season last year. This season, Taurasi is averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists through 14 games.
Against Seattle, the 10-time WNBA All-Star finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists from 4-of-9 (44.4%) shooting and going 2-for-5 (40%) from three.
Taurasi has been a leader for her teammates on the court as well as being a role model off of it as well. Her constant professionalism, her will to win no matter the cost and her elite play at 42 years old is commendable in all aspects.
Looking for a statement win against the second-best team in the league, the Mercury will face the 12-2 New York Liberty on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT.
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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
