RealGM

Diana Taurasi puts up 42 points at 41 years old, on 12-21 and 6-13 from three, to become the first WNBA player to surpass 10,000 career points. It was her first 40 point game since 2010. And this was the game after putting up 29 on 10-16 and 5-8 from three, and before that putting up 24 on 7-13 and 5-10 from three. BTW, Michael Jordan is the only NBA player to ever score 40 points after turning 40 (he had a 43 point game four days after turning 40).

Earlier this season I was feeling the Kobe-Taurasi comp but in a negative way: It felt a bit like Kobe's final years in the NBA when the Lakers eschewed playing competitive basketball to tank and let Kobe pretend he was still a star level player.

But Taurasi has turned it up as the year has gone on, and the handful of Phoenix games I've watched it definitely feels more like they're an under-equipped team trying hard to win games. If Skylar Diggins-Smith was playing, maybe Taurasi could have played a smaller role, but with the team construction it feels they do need her to be super aggressive.

The Suns are an injury-depleted team with no bench, and they need every bit of clock turning back Taurasi can muster.

And yet mercury can’t win a game without diggins

Ito wrote:And yet mercury can’t win a game without diggins

To be fair, it's very hard to replace a player as good as Skylar.

Pretty amazing. Also speaks to the role she's being forced to play though. Gotta give it to her, though, having herself this ready to play it and do it with this shooting efficiency is commendable.