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Mercury legend Diana Taurasi crushes WNBA record of most games with 5-plus 3-pointers scored

Diana Taurasi (Orange) © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The story of Phoenix Mercury superstar Diana Taurasi has been about her longevity in playing in the WNBA for 20 years and her willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Along her illustrious journey, Taurasi has broken record after record in both league and franchise history, doing it once again against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday.

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In the Mercury’s 92-78 win over the Sparks, Taurasi shot 5-for-8 (62.5%) from three, the 80th time she has scored five or more 3-pointers in a game. Continuing to set the standard in the WNBA, she has 50 more games with this achievement attached than Katie Smith, who is No. 2 in league history with 30.

Out the gate, Taurasi was a perfect 3-for-3 from deep in the first quarter as she and Sparks star Dearica Hamby were in the middle of a 3-point shootout. Hamby was 4-for-4 from three at one stage of the game and finished with 29 points.

So far this season, the two-time WNBA champion Taurasi is piling on a huge list of records that she has shattered. She became only the third player in WNBA history to reach 300 wins, surpassed Michael Jordan for most 20-plus point games in WNBA/NBA history over the age of 40, became the oldest player to score 30-plus points in a game (42 years old) and has collected 500 steals in her career.

When reflecting on how integral the 3-pointer is to her game, Taurasi talked about her utilizing this ability to the fullest extent she can.

“I’ve always shot a lot of threes, but I think as you evolve [or] get older, you kinda have to find ways to leverage what you are good at,” Taurasi said. “I’ve really taken a step back and tried to figure out how to make the game easier for myself and for my teammates. Catch and shoot threes, quick rips. So the rim and threes are two things that make it easier for you and your teammates. Those are two things that when I am playing a game, I try to seek those things out and go from there.”

Since being drafted in 2004, the 6-foot guard has remained as effective as ever and sets the tone the second she steps onto the floor. Taurasi is averaging 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game through 17 starts in 2024.

Being able to witness some of the NBA’s best while he was an assistant coach in the past, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts believes Taurasi is one of the best basketball players in general.

“I heard the next closest was 30 which is just crazy to even think about,” Tibbetts said. “She’s up there with the best. I spent eight years in Portland with Dame [Damian Lillard] and the way he worked each and every day is a lot like how DT goes to work. There’s a guy [Steph Curry] in Golden State that swept us four times and can shoot it pretty good, but I’ll put her up against anyone. She finds them in different ways. It’s catch and shoot, off the bounce. She says it all the time, it’s like every game there is a new record. So it’s a credit to her and her longevity, it’s very impressive.”

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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini

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