Diana Taurasi is a professional female basketball player in Women's National Basketball Association. She plays for Phoenix Mercury. The team selected her in the 2004 WNBA drafting. She has seven thousand career points, six consecutive seasons with 600+ 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 has averaged 19.3 ppg over her career. This is more than any other player of the league. She is still 482 points away from Tina Thompson's all time WNBA scoring records. But she could surpass Thompson as early as this year.
This is her latest achievement after a season that was plagued by injuries. A strained hip flexor caused Taurasi to miss eight games in 2012-2013, which meant that she missed the entire season. She was able to return to action in the WNBA Finals and help the Mercury to their first title since 1997. She was also the seventh player in WNBA lore to win NCAA.
Six consecutive seasons of 600 or more points
Diana Taurasi is an outstanding shooter with a wide range of shots. She can hit fadeaway jumpers from any part of the court. She is quick to find a wide area for the ball and then she moves the ball over her body to the basket side. She bends over to create space and then hits the fadeaway jumper. Diana will normally shoot the jumper on the side or low post if there isn't sufficient space.
Diana Taurasi is also well-known for her exceptional passing skills. She is also the Phoenix Mercury's leading scorer. She also leads the league with assists. 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 to Michael Jordan
When you compare Diana Taurasi to Michael Jordan, you need to take into account the similarities as well as differences between these two outstanding players. The two are considered the greatest basketball players of all time, but what made them similar in their careers? The most striking thing about the two is their competitive spirit. Both players have a competitive spirit that drives them to succeed.
Diana Taurasi has had a competitive streak for over 20 years. She was a participant in a HORSE competition that Michael Jordan hosted in the early '90s. However, she missed a free throwing opportunity. To win a pair Jordans shoes, she had the to make that free shot. Jordan was not able to take handouts from her. She had the same competitive mentality.
Injury-riddled season for Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi, despite her high score average, is likely to miss the rest of the WNBA season following an injury in her right quad. 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 had announced that they had signed Yvonne Turner under a hardship contract in order to fill Taurasi's place on the roster.
Taurasi was unable to play in six regular season games. She missed nine of the first nine games after a hamstring injury. After returning to play in three more games, she sustained another injury. She was unable score this time, leading to a single-digit scoring total.
Phoenix Mercury: The impact she has had
The Phoenix Mercury's impact of Diana Taurasi on it has been amazing. She was 40 years old when she led the Mercury's victory over the Atlanta Dream to 90-88. She tied the season record for scoring 32 points on her birthday and made six 3-pointers. She currently averages 16.1 points per contest and is the second-highest scorer in the team.
Walker and Peddy have roles, but Taurasi has taken over the offense. Only six points are needed to reach the 9,000-point plateau for the All-Star. Her average usage rate of 26% in her four first games was a record for a player her level. The extra minutes will most likely be given to the other two All-Stars, Walker and Peddy.