Diana Taurasi breaks WNBA and NBA record in win over Sparks

In the Phoenix Mercury’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, guard Diana Taurasi set a phenomenal record in professional basketball after producing 31 points. Taurasi became the oldest player in the WNBA and NBA history to score 30-plus points in a game after surpassing her previous record (41 years, 357 days).

She was born in 1982 and was the No. 1 overall pick by the Mercury in the 2004 WNBA draft. During her career, she has set and broken numerous records. She is a three-time WNBA champion, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, a 10-time WNBA All-Star, six-time EuroLeague champion, among numerous other accolades.

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Taurasi holds the WNBA all-time record for most career points with over 10,000, which she hit in 2023 when she became the first player ever to score 10,000 career points. She only needed 18 points to hit that milestone but dropped 42 points. It was the most she’s scored during regulation in a game and her fourth 40-point game in her career.

Taurasi is also the oldest player with a 40-point game in WNBA history, passing Cynthia Cooper (36 years, 124 days) in 1999, as per ESPN Stats and Info. The only player in NBA history with a 40-point game at age 40 or older is Michael Jordan, who did it in 2003 with the Washington Wizards.

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire