Diana Taurasi made five three-pointers against LA Sparks on Friday.
Diana Taurasi put on an excellent display of shooting during Phoenix Mercury’s 92-78 win over the LA Sparks at the Footprint Center on Friday. Taurasi, who is the oldest player in the league, scorched Dearica Hamby & Co. from beyond the arc.
The 42-year-old knocked down five three-pointers in eight attempts and scripted another commendable milestone. Diana Taurasi extended her record of most games with at least five made three-pointers to 80 matches.
The 3-time WNBA champion leads all players by a whopping margin. While Taurasi has 80 games of five made three points, the second-best record rests with Katie Smith, who has 30 such games.
Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts paid homage to Taurasi after the iconic figure put on another shooting masterclass on Friday.
Tibbetts, who has served as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA, compared Taurasi to shooting greats Damian Lillard and Steph Curry.
“It is just crazy to even think about. She is up there with the best,” Nate Tibbetts said while reflecting on Diana Taurasi’s outrageous record.
“I spent eight year in Portland with Dame (Damian Lillard), The way he worked each and everyday was a lot like how DT (Diana Taurasi goes to work. There was a guy in Golden State (Steph Curry)…he could shoot pretty well too. But I will put her up there against any of them,” he added.
Tibbetts also applauded Diana Taurasi’s ability to knock down three-point shots in different manners. Be it catch-and-shoot threes or off-the-bounce shots from beyond the arc, the 2-time WNBA Finals MVP has all the options in her repertoire.
Diana Taurasi has made the most three-point shots in the history of the WNBA. In 546 games, the Mercury great has made 1,409 3-pointers on 3,887 attempts. She has made 408 more three-point shots than the second-placed Sue Bird (1,001).
Another solid performance from Diana Taurasi
The Mercury superstar led her team’s charge against the LA Sparks on Saturday. Taurasi scored 20 points from 7-of-11 shooting from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
The one-time league MVP also grabbed four rebounds, dished out six assists and registered one steal on the night.
The veteran superstar is averaging 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 17 games this season. She is shooting 40.4% from the field, including 36.6% from the 3-point range.
In terms of 3-pointers made, Taurasi is ranked 5th among all players this season. The 42-year-old has knocked down 48 shots from beyond the arc.
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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash