Taurasi becomes WNBA’s first to top 9,000 points

PHOENIX — Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi became the first WNBA player to reach 9,000 points on Sunday when she hit a layup while getting fouled with 8 minutes, 23 seconds left in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, was already alone on top of the charts, but now it has a new milestone attached to it. The next-closest player on the league’s all-time scoring list is Tina Thompson with 7,488. And Candice Dupree is the next-closest active player with 6,820.

Taurasi, in her long-awaited return, came into Sunday’s game needing six points to reach the plateau. She had been sitting on 8,994 since May 21, as she missed the past five weeks with a fractured sternum.

It has been a memorable month for her, even before the historic basket. Last week, she was named to the U.S. women’s basketball Olympic team for the fifth time.