By: Eric Liu
Diana Taurasi, a WNBA player, gets passed the ball, and she shoots. With this being one of the most famous shots in her career, she makes it, the crowd cheers, and her name will go down in WNBA history.
On August 3rd, 2023, Diana Taurasi was playing in the Footprint Center at Phoenix Arizona, and during the 3rd quarter with 8 minutes and 23 seconds remaining on the clock, she made a 3-pointer. The shot made her the first and only 10,000-point scorer in the WNBA.
In the game, Taurasi only needed 18 more points to reach the achievement. She kept on making shots until the 3rd quarter rolled around. Jack Maloney, a writer for CBS was writing about Tarasi and her 10,000-point shot, and he wrote, “she got there in the third quarter with a deep 3-pointer -- a fitting way to go about it.” (CBS)
The fact that Taurasi ended up having her 10,000-point shot as a 3-pointer was a very satisfying conclusion since Taurasi has made the most 3-pointers in the WNBA. The 3-pointer eventually led to Phoenix Mercury, Taurasi’s team, breaking their4 game losing streak with a 91-71 win.
After the game, Taurasi was asked about her milestone. In response she said, “they really came with me, and they wanted me to do it tonight…it happened. And I'm just really grateful.”(ESPN)
Taurasi regarded this achievement as an all around team moment because without her teammates, it wouldn't have been possible to reach this achievement. She also talked about how grateful she was for her family, friends, teammates, and all the supporters.
Taurasi’s title of being the only person to score 10k points will last for a while. She is simply above the rest when it comes to this category. David Brandt, a writer for the Los Angeles Times wrote, “She is more than 2,500 points ahead of Tina Thompson, who is second on the scoring list with, 7,488 points” (Los Angeles Times).
With Thompson not being an active WNBA player anymore, and the fact that other contenders are a few hundreds and thousands points away from hitting the 10k scoring mark, it will be a few more years until another WNBA player can achieve this title. Main contenders that are active include DeWanna Bonner (6,680) and Candace Parker (6,754)
Taurasi was drafted by the Mercury in 2004. Now, in 2023, Taurasi has played for 19 years and she has an impressive resume. David Brandt reported, “She not only is the career regular-season scoring leader, but also holds that mark in the playoffs. She has won three WNBA championships for the Mercury and was twice the MVP of the Finals.”(Los Angeles Times)
Taurasi is very skilled at basketball since she won many championships and awards. Her passion for this game is unparalleled as she has continued to play basketball even after 19 years, and still continues to do so now.
Taurasi’s 10,000-point achievement is a testament to her legacy ultimately bolstering it with other accomplishments. She was able to achieve those feats through her passion, and skill. Now she will be remembered for years to come.