Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi surpasses 10,000 career points

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi surpassed the 10,000-point mark Thursday on a 28-foot three-pointer in the third quarter of the 91-71 win over the Atlanta Dream.

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

She is the first player in league history to score 10,000 points in the regular season. But like most of the greats in any sport, Taurasi said she has always cared more about winning than milestones and records.

“I really don’t think about the number, I really don’t,” Taurasi said after scoring 29 points in a one-point loss to Indiana on Tuesday night. “I’ve always said I’ve just played basketball because I love to play. Literally, the only reason why I keep showing up to the gym right now is because I still love to play and you know, this group still shows up every day.”

Taurasi was 18 points away from 10,000 entering Thursday, which put her 2,512 ahead of second-place Tina Thompson.

DeWanna Bonner is the next closest active player on the list. The 35-year-old Connecticut Sun forward is nearly 3,300 points behind Taurasi.

“What she’s been able to do for such a long period of time has been truly incredible,” said Bonner, who played with Taurasi for the first 10 years of her career in Phoenix. “I’ve seen firsthand how hard she works and what she’s done and it’s amazing.”

Taurasi has been the cornerstone of the Phoenix franchise since she was drafted first in 2004 out of UConn. She not only is the career regular-season scoring leader but also holds that mark in the playoffs, too.

She’s won three WNBA championships for the Mercury and earned MVP of the Finals twice in her career.

“On behalf of the WNBA and basketball fans worldwide, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Diana on reaching the incredible milestone of 10,000 points as she continues to author new chapters is an illustrious WNBA career.” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

“Diana’s achievement stands as a testament to her skill, determination, and unwavering dedication to the game, which along with her competitive nature, has captivated fans with her incredible scoring ability, clutch performances, and unparalleled basketball IQ. We are honored to witness this milestone.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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