Diana Taurasi can still play. The Phoenix Mercury veteran guard proved her worth again as a valuable member of the team when she led Phoenix with 23 points during an 86-68 win over Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on Sunday night. Not only that but she also had five assists and three rebounds, while shooting 6/13 from the field, 9/9 from the foul line, and having zero turnovers.
At 42 years old, Taurasi's incredible performance against the Sky made her the new record-holder for being the oldest NBA or WNBA player ever to have at least 20 points and five assists with zero turnovers in a single game, according to StatMamba.
“Diana Taurasi passes John Stockton to become the oldest player in NBA/WNBA history to record: 20+ PTS, 5+ AST, 0 TOV.”
Taurasi has long established herself as an ageless wonder not just in the WNBA but in women's sports in general, as she continues to play at a high level. She's not just a bench ornament for the Mercury. Phoenix needs her to perform well and she's been doing exactly that, especially of late. Since coming back from Paris where she helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 Olympics, Taurasi has averaged 16.7 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds through three games.
Stockon is among the true benchmarks for longevity and sustained brilliance on the court in pro basketball. That can certainly be said about Taurasi as well.
Taurasi was not alone in doing her job against the Sky, though. Brittney Griner finished with 18 points and five rebounds to go with three assists and a block, while Sophie Cunningham had 13 points and 10 boards. Monique Billings, who just got inked to a seven-day contract by the Mercury, made her presence felt right away, as she came off the bench and provided 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals in 23 minutes of action.
Diana Taurasi, Mercury have strong rebound after loss to Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Taurasi's offensive explosion against the Sky came just a couple of days after the Mercury got foiled by Clark and the Fever in a 98-89 loss on the road. Also, the win over Chicago was a nice doubling down of the Mercury's mastery of the Sky, who lost to Phoenix last Thursday (85-65) during the first day of WNBA action since the break.
With a 15-13 record, the Mercury will now turn their attention to their next two games, both against the Atlanta Dream on the road. The first of that back-to-back set will take place this Wednesday at Gateway Center.