Mercury's Taurasi Shows Off Her Defense Against West Rival

Diana Taurasi is known for her scoring, but in a game against a Western Conference rival, she showed her defensive abilities.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) passes the ball up court in front of New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (13) during the second quarter at Footprint Center on Aug. 26, 2024, in Phoenix / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Diana Taurasi is a Phoenix Mercury legend, and when they drafted her, she made an immediate impact. She was the first pick of the 2004 WNBA Draft, and she went on to win Rookie of the Year.

Taurasi led the Mercury to three championships, and she did it with her scoring. The Mercury guard could put up big numbers, and she did it with ease. She had a career-high 47 points in 2006, and she did it against the Houston Comets. That game went into triple overtime, and Phoenix came out victorious.

Aug 5, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) shoots over Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Phoenix's guard had some other big performances in her career, and now, she is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. She scored a total of 10,646 points, and she has a comfortable lead, as her old teammate, Tina Charles, is second with 8,396 points.

The Mercury guard contributed in other areas throughout her career, and when it comes to steals, she had a total of 518.

When it comes to her career high, she had it against the Minnesota Lynx. The Mercury hosted the Lynx in a game back in 2006, and they picked up a 99-68 victory over Minnesota.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) shoots over Chicago Sky guards Chennedy Carter (7) on Aug. 18, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Taurasi locks down the Lynx

Taurasi had seven steals in that game. She also had 21 points, six assists, two blocks and a rebound. The Mercury played well in that game, and outside of Taurasi, there were three other players who scored in double figures.

Penny Taylor was the leading scorer, and she had 24 points off the bench. She also had nine rebounds and seven assists. Cappie Pondexter had 23 points, six assists, five rebounds and a steal. Then, Kelly Miller had 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Phoenix's star showed that she can contribute on the defensive end, and while she came close to her career high at times, she did not pass it. One of the times she came close was in 2007, as she had six steals against the Detroit Shock.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (3) catches a pass during warm ups on Sept. 19, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Mercury were on the road in that game, and they suffered a blowout loss. The Shock beat them 111-82, and Taurasi had a quiet game offensively. She had five points in that game, but she contributed in other ways. She had six steals, three assists and three rebounds. Phoenix had five players who scored in double figures, and while Taurasi struggled on the offensive end, she still impacted that game.

Taurasi had some great games in her career, and sometimes, those games revolved around defense.

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