Diana Taurasi is a professional player in the Women’s National Basketball Association. She plays with the Phoenix Mercury. The team selected her first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. She has accumulated seven thousand points in her career and six seasons of 600 or higher points. You can read on for more information about Taurasi and the similarities she shares with Michael Jordan.
7,000 career-points
Diana Taurasi is the fastest player to reach the 7,000 point milestone in the WNBA. Taurasi averaged 19.3 goals per game during her career, more points than any other player in WNBA. She is 482 point shy of Tina Thompson’s all-time WNBA scoring mark. Thompson's record could be broken by Thompson in the next year.
This achievement comes after a tough season. A strained hip flexor caused Taurasi to miss eight games in 2012-2013, which meant that she missed the entire season. She returned to action at the WNBA Finals to assist the Mercury in their first title win since 1997. She also became only the seventh player in WNBA history to win the NCAA title.
Six consecutive years with 600 points or more
Diana Taurasi is an exceptional shooter who can hit a variety of shots. She can hit fadeaway jumpers from any part of the court. She looks for an open space and then gets the ball to her basket side. She then bends down to create more space and hits the fadeaway jumping shot. If there isn't enough space, Diana will usually shoot the jumper in the low post or on the side of the foul line.
Diana Taurasi is also well-known for her exceptional passing skills. She is also the Phoenix Mercury's leading scorer. She is also the league's leading assister. In 2015, she was the first player ever to achieve the double-double of assists and scoring. She is the only player in WNBA History to win both titles in a single year.
Similarity with Michael Jordan
You have to compare Diana Taurasi and Michael Jordan in order to see the similarities and differences. These two great basketball players are often compared, but what was their commonality in their respective careers? The most striking thing about the two is their competitive spirit. Both players are driven to win, and they want to be great.
Diana Taurasi has a competitive streak going back over two decades. In the early '90s, she participated in a HORSE competition with Michael Jordan and missed a free throw. To win a pair Jordan shoes, she had to make the free throw. She displayed the same competitive attitude as Jordan, who did not accept handouts.
Diana Taurasi is suffering from an injury-plagued season
Diana Taurasi has been injured to her right quad, which resulted in her not scoring as high as she would like. This means that Diana Taurasi will miss the remainder WNBA seasons. The WNBA's all-time top scorer was only one game away from winning the championship. Her absence could mean disaster for the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA has signed Yvonne Turner as a hardship contract to replace Taurasi.
Taurasi missed nine regular season games because of a hamstring injury. She played in three more regular season games after sustaining another injury. She was unable scoring this time, so her total score was only one-digit.
She has had an impact on Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury's impact of Diana Taurasi on it has been amazing. She turned 40 on Saturday and led the Mercury to victory against the Atlanta Dream, 90-88. She tied a season best with 32 points, six 3-pointers and tied a season low on her 40th birthday. She is currently second on team scoring with 16.1 point per game.
Walker and Peddy are role players, but Taurasi is now a key part of the team’s offense. Only six points are needed to reach the 9,000-point plateau for the All-Star. She averaged a team-high 26% usage rate through her first four games, which is impressive for a player of her caliber. Walker and Peddy will get the extra minutes.