Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi delivers another vintage performance against the Los Angeles Sparks
The California native had 20 points, six assists and four rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting in Friday's win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45311740-d664-4e1f-9074-3d2d8ce683b2_3277x4096.jpeg)
PHOENIX — Oh does Diana Taurasi love playing against the Los Angeles Sparks.
So much so that in 60 games throughout her career against Los Angeles, the Chino, California native and Phoenix Mercury guard has scored more points against the Sparks (1,186 points) than any other opponent.
After a season-high 31 points against the Sparks earlier this month, Taurasi finished with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting in Friday's 92-78 win over the Sparks.
Friday was “Inspiring Girls Night,” at Footprint Center and Taurasi, who continually inspires so many, always finds inspiration when playing the Sparks.
“I mean, I find inspiration in a lot of different ways in a lot of different people,” Taurasi said after Friday’s win. “That was me 20 years ago at Sparks games at the Great Western Forum. Watching Lisa (Leslie) and you know, all those guys. That was me when Houston would come to town to watch Cynthia (Cooper) and Sheryl (Swoopes) and Tina (Thompson).
“So fast forward 20 years to see the crowd we had today. There's always little moments in your life that sparks something, a passion or something that you love. And hopefully tonight we did that for someone out there.”
It was also against the Sparks Taurasi became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer when she did so in Los Angeles on June 18, 2017, doing so on the same basket and in the same arena that LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer during the 2022-23 NBA season.
But while last season Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to record 10,000 career points (she now has 10,388 career points), it was a frustrating season for Taurasi and the nine-win Mercury after injuries and multiple head coaches plagued much of last season.
However, this year is a different story for Taurasi, who has now scored at least 20 points in seven of the Mercury’s 17 games this season. Last season, she had seven games with at least 20 points throughout the entire season (26 appearances).
Taurasi, who shot 5-for-8 from deep on Friday, has already matched her 2023 total of games with at least five threes made (four games) just 17 games into this season.
And Taurasi is doing more than just scoring. She’s averaging 4.8 rebounds per game this season, the most since her career high of 5.7 per game in 2009.
The key difference for Taurasi this season? Being led by first-year Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts.
“He is just a different breed,” Taurasi said on what sets Tibbetts apart from the other coaches she’s played for. “I think you can tell, and when you are around him, you can feel all his experiences as a coach. I think it has culminated into him being in this place right now. He just has a way of communicating with us in different ways. Every time we need something, it seems like he knows what to say. That is an attribute that he has honed for all those years, coaching hundreds of players and teams. He has really given us a different mindset on how to approach the game. It has been amazing.”
Tibbetts, with his NBA background, has changed the way the Mercury play. He aims for them to shoot 35-40 3-pointers per night and Taurasi has bought into Tibbetts’ system and 3-point philosophy.
Phoenix has knocked down 161 three-pointers through the first 17 games of the season, the most in franchise history.
And while Tibbetts has worked with the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard during his coaching career, he also realizes the uniqueness Taurasi brings and just how special she is.
“She’s up there with the best,” Tibbetts said about Taurasi’s 3-point shooting. “I spent eight years in Portland with (Damian Lillard), the way he worked each and every day is a lot like how (Diana Taurasi) goes to work. There’s a guy at Golden State that swept us four times (Stephen Curry) when we were in Portland that would shoot it pretty good too. I’ll put her up there against any of them. She finds them in different ways – it’s catch-and-shoot, it’s off-the-bounce. You can tell that we have had some days off, she had some bounce (on Friday).”
Even Tibbetts’ daughters realize how special Taurasi is. Earlier this week at a team bowling event, Tibbetts’ daughters had the chance to see Taurasi and her family, who they call by her full name.
“We had a bowling event and (Taurasi’s) family, our girls’ referred to Penny (Taylor) and Leo and Isla but every time they say Diana, it’s Diana Taurasi. They say her full name. It’s with respect,” Tibbetts joked before Friday’s game.
Taurasi, who turned 42 earlier this month, now has 22 career games with at least 20 points since turning 40. Michael Jordan has the next-most with 20.
And it’s her 3-point shooting that has allowed her to age with grace and continue to reach milestones. And the milestones continue to pile up.
Friday was Taurasi’s 80th career game with at least five made 3-pointers. The next most is Katie Smith with 30.
And with 48 made 3-pointers on the season, Taurasi is now fifth in the league. She is also tied with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark for fifth in the league with 2.8 3-pointers made per game.
She also recorded her 53rd career game with at least five threes while shooting at least 50% from beyond the arc on Friday, which also leads all players in WNBA history.
Further, Taurasi made at least five threes for the fourth time this season which ties Kayla McBride for the second most in the league this season (Arike Ogunbowale leads the league with six games of at least five threes).
“I've always shot a lot of threes,” said Taurasi who has averaged 7.1 attempts from three over her career. “But I think as you evolve, get older, you kind of have to find different ways to leverage what you're really good at.
“And, you know, I've really taken a step back and tried to figure out how do I make the game easier for myself, and for my teammates, and, you know, catch and shoot threes, quick rips. So rim and three are the two things that make the game easier for you and your teammates. So those are the two things that when I'm playing a game, I try to seek those things out and go from there.”
After 546 games into her WNBA career, there’s nothing left to prove for the three-time WNBA champion, but with Tibbetts at the helm and with newfound motivation, like Sunday’s matchup against Clark and the Fever, Taurasi will continue to rewrite history and inspire others every step of the way.