Six weeks to the day since suffering a fractured sternum, Mercury guard Diana Taurasi added another accomplishment to her unmatched career.
Against the Sparks on Sunday, Taurasi scored her 9,000th career point, becoming the first player in WNBA history to reach that milestone. She crossed the threshold with an and-one layup midway through the second quarter, making the free throw to tie the game at 29.
Taurasi, 39, has spent all 17 seasons of her WNBA career with the Mercury. The three-time champion and two-time Finals MVP has made 11 All-Star appearances and has 10 first-team All-WNBA selections. Taurasi won the league’s MVP award in 2009.
Taurasi holds a comfortable lead on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. Hall of Famer Tina Thompson ranks second with 7,488 points. Storm forward Candice Dupree is fourth on the league’s all-time list and ranks second among active players with 6,822 career points.
Taurasi is also the WNBA’s all-time leader in career three-pointers and free throws made and ranks fifth in career assists.
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