Diana Taurasi is an icon in the world of hoops and the perennial All-Star known as the “White Mamba” is on the cusp of another milestone in her illustrious WNBA career.
She is closing in on becoming the first player in league history to score 10,000 points in the regular season. But like most of the greats in any sport, Taurasi says she has always cared more about winning than milestones and records.
“I really don't think about the number, I really don't,” Taurasi said after scoring 29 points in a one-point loss to Indiana on Tuesday night. “I've always said I've just played basketball because I love to play. Literally the only reason why I keep showing up to the gym right now is because I still love to play and you know, this group still shows up every day.”
The group is showing up but not winning and though Taurasi has been focused on trying to salvage a losing year for the only WNBA team she’s played for, it's impossible to ignore the looming milestone.
Taurasi is just 18 points away from 10,000, which would put her 2,512 ahead of second-place Tina Thompson. Taurasi, who has averaged 19.1 points during her career, will get her first chance at the milestone Thursday night against Atlanta.
DeWanna Bonner is the next closest active player on the list and the nearly 36-year-old Connecticut Sun forward is nearly 3,300 points behind Taurasi.
“What she's been able to do for such a long period of time has been truly incredible,” said Bonner, who played with Taurasi for the first 10 years of her career in Phoenix. “I've seen firsthand how hard she works and what she's done and its amazing.”
Current WNBA scoring leader Jewell Loyd has 4,458 points in her nine-year career. It would take her another 277 games if she averaged 20 points a game to reach the 10,000-point mark. Despite the fact the league has expanded it's schedule to 40 games each year, Loyd doesn't think she'd be playing long enough to score that many points.
The 41-year-old Taurasi doesn't remember most of her points, although the game in which she broke Thompson's mark in 2017 will always be special to her because it was in her hometown of Los Angeles and the late Kobe Bryant was there. Taurasi broke Thompson's record on a layup and after the game, Bryant dubbed her “White Mamba” as a spinoff of his moniker “Black Mamba."
“I remember that because of where it was and who was there,” Taurasi recalled. “If you add up all the points I've scored overseas over the years, I'm way over 10,000.”
The next milestone should happen in Phoenix as the Mercury play their next four games at home, and its significance isn't lost on Taurasi.
“When it happens it will be a cool moment for our city for our franchise,” she said. “Really for all the people who have been in my corner for a long time.”
Taurasi has been the cornerstone of the Phoenix franchise since she was drafted first in 2004 out of UConn. She not only is the career regular-season scoring leader, but also holds that mark in the playoffs, too. She's won three WNBA championships for the Mercury and earned MVP of the Finals twice in her career.
“We are getting able to witness greatness in front of us,” interim Mercury coach Nikki Blue said. “You take for granted how good DT is. How she’s been this past 19 years. To witness her in this moment it’s super special. I hope everyone watches and embraces the moment. She’s been the face of our organization and our league for several years.”
___
