The countdown is over. Diana Taurasi officially did it.
The UConn legend became the first player in WNBA history to record 10,000 career points in the Phoenix Mercury’s game against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night.
Taurasi reached the extraordinary milestone when she knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers a little over two and a half minutes into the third quarter, giving the Mercury a 51-39 lead.
After draining the triple that made it 10K, off an assist from fellow Husky Moriah Jefferson, Taurasi raised both of her arms in the air and spun around, soaking in the moment to the roar of fans at the Footprint Center before being mobbed by teammates. Play stopped as soon as she did so, with the crowd going absolutely wild, so Taurasi’s achievement could be celebrated.
The 41-year-old entered Thursday night’s game just 18 points shy of the milestone, her total standing at 9,982 after going off for 29 points and five triples, along with five rebounds and three assists, in Phoenix’s loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday. She knocked down five 3-pointers in the game before that as well.
This feat is just the icing on the cake on Taurasi’s career, which already has cemented her as one of the greatest of all time in the women’s game. In fact, the Mercury even had a petting zoo with goats at Thursday’s game as a play on the GOAT acronym.
Taurasi passed Tina Thompson to become the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2017 and also leads the league in all-time made field goals and 3-pointers.
The 6-foot guard won three NCAA championships with the Huskies before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Mercury in 2004. Since then, some of Taurasi’s other career accolades including being named the 2004 Rookie of the Year, winning three WNBA titles, being named a two-time finals MVP and the 2009 MVP and capturing five Olympic gold medals.
Guard Diana Taurasi #3 of the Phoenix Mercury reacts after scoring her 10,000th career point during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Footprint Center on Aug. 3, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images/TNS)
