Guard Diana Taurasi scored 31 points in the Phoenix Mercury’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, setting a professional basketball record. Taurasi became the oldest player in WNBA and NBA history to score 30 or more points in a game. surpassed the previous record (41 years 357 days)
She was born in 1982 and was selected first overall by the Mercury in the 2004 WNBA Draft. During her career, she set and broke numerous records. She has received numerous awards, including a three-time WNBA Champion, five-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 10-time WNBA All-Star, and six-time EuroLeague Champion.
Taurasi holds the all-time WNBA record for most career points with more than 10,000 career points, which she achieved in 2023 when she became the first player to reach 10,000 career points. She needed just 18 points to reach that milestone, but fell 42 points. This was the most points she has scored during regulation in a game and the fourth 40-point game of her career.
Taurasi is also the oldest player to score 40 points in WNBA history, surpassing Cynthia Cooper (36 years, 124 days) in 1999. Per ESPN Stats & Information. The only player in NBA history to have a 40-point game over the age of 40 was Michael Jordan, who did so with the Washington Wizards in 2003.
