History was made in the WNBA on Sunday when Diana Taurasi became the league's all-time scoring leader.

With her parents watching, the Phoenix Mercury guard scored 14 points in the first half against the Los Angeles Sparks to pass Tina Thompson on the career scoring charts. She finished with 19 points in a 90-59 defeat in LA.

"It's pretty special I got to do it in front of my family on Father's Day in LA," said Taurasi.

When Taurasi surpassed Thompson's mark of 7,488 points with 45 seconds left in the first half, the game was stopped and the crowd, which included former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, gave her a standing ovation.

"Once I got the basket it was pretty cool," she said. "I was trying not to think about, wanted it to happen and do it organically. It did. You think about all the great players you played with, all the games."

At halftime, Bryant talked to ESPN's Holly Rowe about her scoring record and her nickname, "the White Mamba."

"She came up to me during the tournament, and said, 'I'm the White Mamba,'" Bryant -- aka the Black Mamba -- said, adding that he responded, "'Yes, you are -- you've got every bit the temperament.'"

Taurasi needed less than 13 full seasons to score the 7,494 points; Thompson's 7,488 points came over 17 seasons.

"Congratulations to Diana on becoming the WNBA's all-time leading scorer. I am excited that it is Diana and it is my absolute pleasure to pass the torch on to her," Thompson said in a statement. "Diana is one of the best players to ever play the game and definitely one of my favorites. She has done amazing things and I am so grateful that I've been able to share many of those with her."

Cavaliers star LeBron James passed along his congratulations via Twitter.

Taurasi, who averages 18.1 points per game this year, passed Tamika Catchings (7,380 points) for second on the WNBA scoring list early this season.

"When you're on superteams, it's easy to score," Taurasi said on Friday before scoring 15 points against the Chicago Sky that night.

Two weeks ago, Taurasi broke the WNBA record for most career 3-pointers made, passing Katie Smith's mark of 906.

Her all-time mark for 3-pointers stands at 927 after Sunday's game.

She turned 35 this month and doesn't seem to be slowing down. She recently signed an extension through 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi became the WNBA career scoring leader Sunday, surpassing Tina Thompson who had held the record since 2010.

Taurasi, 35, in her 13th WNBA season, picked up the final 14 points she needed against the Los Angeles Sparks at Staples Center to move past Thompson, who scored 7,488 points in 17 seasons before retiring after the 2013 season.

Thompson played for Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle during her WNBA career (496 games). Taurasi has been with the Mercury for her entire career (377 games).

Taurasi had just three points in the first quarter, when the Sparks bolted to a 15-0 lead and led 38-17 at the end of the first in the Mercury's worst quarter of the season. Taurasi had three fouls and a technical in the first quarter, sitting out the final 4:36.

Taurasi returned in the second quarter, hitting an early 3-pointer then another with 4:36 left in the second followed by a pull-up at 2:50 and a free throw at 2:26, leaving her two points away from the record.

The record breaker came with 45.3 seconds left in the first half on a driving layup.

"I am excited that it is Diana and it is my absolute pleasure to pass the torch on to her," said Thompson, now assistant coach at Texas. "She and I have shared so many amazing moments throughout our basketball careers, whether it was gold medals, championships or all-star games. Diana is one of the best players to ever play the game and definitely one of my favorites.

"She has done amazing things and I am so grateful that I’ve been able to share many of those with her. I am really excited for Diana and I think she is going to blow that record out of the water.”

The Mercury will honor Taurasi at their next home game, June 30 against Minnesota, including a bobblehead giveaway to the first 5,000 fans.

"Diana is everything you want want in a basketball player and the kind of player who not only defines a franchise but an entire league for a generation," said Robert Sarver, Mercury managing partner. "We could not be more proud of what she has done for the game, our franchise and the city."

On June 1 in a game at Chicago, Taurasi became the WNBA career 3-point leader.

Taurasi is a five-time WNBA scoring leader and has won 18 major championships including three WNBA titles, four Olympic gold medals and three NCAA crowns at Connecticut. Her career single game scoring high is 47 points against Houston, including Thompson, in 2006.

Taurasi grew up in Chino, Calif., near where she set the scoring record. Her parents were among those in attendance Sunday.

She went into Sunday averaging 18.2 points, seventh best in the WNBA. Her teammate Brittney Griner is the league scoring leader (24.1 ppg).

The Mercury lost 89-87 at home to the Sparks on June 10 with Taurasi scoring 27 points.

The Mercury were 6-4 before tipping off against the defending champion Sparks (7-3) and starting a key four-game stretch that includes games at Seattle on Friday and home against Minnesota (June 30) and Washington (July 5).</s>Diana Taurasi scored 19 points to break the WNBA career scoring record in the Phoenix Mercury's 90-59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. Taurasi finished with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson's mark of 7,488.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Washington Post.</s>LOS ANGELES — Diana Taurasi scored 19 points to break the WNBA career scoring record in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.

Taurasi finished with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson’s mark of 7,488. Taurasi broke the record in the closing seconds of the first half, coming around a screen by Emma Cannon near the top of the key and knifing into the lane, past Nneka Ogwumike, for a layup.

The game was stopped and the crowd, which included former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, gave Taurasi a warm ovation. It only took the Mercury star 13 seasons to become the league’s top scorer. Thompson needed 17 seasons to achieve her total. Earlier in the season, Taurasi set the career 3-pointer record, passing Katie Smith.

Ogwumike led the Sparks (8-3) with 18 points and had seven rebounds, and Candace Parker added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Sparks raced to a 15-0 lead, were up 22-2 and led 38-17 at the end of the first quarter. It was their highest-scoring quarter of the season and two points shy of the WNBA record for most points in a quarter.

Riquna Williams hit back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead to 30 points early in the fourth and Odyssey Sims hit two free throws to make it 90-57, the biggest lead of the season for Los Angeles. Williams finished with a season-high 15 points.

The Mercury (6-5) had a season-high 19 turnovers, were held nearly 25 points below their season scoring average (83.7) and shot a season-low 32.8 percent from the field.</s>Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi scored 19 points in a 90-59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, passing Tina Thompson as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Thompson scored 7,488 points over her 17-year WNBA career. Taurasi, who turned 35 earlier this month, now has 7,494 career points in 13 WNBA seasons, all of them with the Mercury. The former U-Conn. star broke the record late in the first half of Sunday’s game in Los Angeles, where former Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his daughters were in attendance.

“It is my absolute pleasure to pass the torch on to you,” Thompson said in a congratulatory video posted on Instagram. “We’ve shared so many amazing moments throughout our basketball careers, whether it was gold medals or championships, all-star games — too much to name. I just want you to know that I am so proud of you. You are most definitely one of the best players to ever play this game and definitely one of my favorites. If I had to build a franchise tomorrow, you would be my franchise player. I mean, you’ve done amazing things and I am just grateful that I have been able to share in that.”

Current and former WNBA stars, as well as NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, were among those who congratulated Taurasi on her record. Taurasi signed a multiyear contract extension in May that’s intended to keep her in Phoenix for the remainder of her WNBA career.</s>Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi scored more than 14 points to become the WNBA's all-time leading scorer on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Sparks.

The previous WNBA leading scorer is Houston Comets and Los Angeles Sparks star Tina Thompson, who recorded 7,488 points in her 17-year career. Taurasi accomplished the feat in her 13th season.

Taurasi has been a member of the Mercury since she was selected with the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2004. She has won four Olympic gold medals, two world titles, three WNBA championships and three NCAA championships in her career.</s>With a driving layup late in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday evening, the Phoenix Mercury's Diana Taurasi became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.

Taurasi now stands alone atop the league's all-time scoring table with 7,494 points, an average of 19.9 points per game. It took her less than 13 full seasons to set the record; she surpassed Tina Thompson, who racked up 7,488 points over 17 seasons before retiring in 2013.

Thompson congratulated Taurasi on breaking her record: "Diana is one of the best players to ever play the game and definitely one of my favorites. She has done amazing things and I am so grateful that I've been able to share many of those with her. I am really excited for Diana and I think she is going to blow that record out of the water."

Though it was a night for the record books for Taurasi, the Mercury got hammered by the Sparks, 90-59.

"I was just trying to get a basket at that point, I think we were down 20," Taurasi told ESPN. "It's a pretty cool, special moment. You know, it's a lot of basketball. I've been really lucky, played with a lot of great players, lot of great coaches."

Taurasi has played her entire career with the Mercury, winning WNBA Championships in 2007, 2009, and 2014 – and winning MVP in the latter two.

"Diana is everything you would want in a basketball player, and the kind of player who not only defines a franchise but an entire league for a generation," said Phoenix Suns and Mercury Managing Partner Robert Sarver. "We could not be more proud of what she has done for the game, our franchise, and the city."

Less than three weeks ago, Taurasi broke the WNBA record for career 3-pointers, which had been held by Katie Smith.

Tarausi, who turned 35 last week, has won four straight Olympic gold medals with Team USA. Earlier this month Taurasi said she'd be happy to play in the 2020 Tokyo Games, the Associated Press reported.

"As long as I'm playing at a high level, and I deserve to be out there, then I'll always put that USA jersey on," she said. "There's nothing better than that, no matter how many times you've done it."</s>On Sunday, Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury broke the WNBA’s all-time scoring record while playing against the Los Angeles Sparks. She passed former L.A. Sparks great Tina Thompson, who held the record for the last seven years. It took Thompson 17 seasons to break the record when she did it in 2010.

It took Taurasi four seasons less to pull it off, as she is playing in her 13th season. Going into Sunday’s game, Diana needed only 14 points to break the record. She broke the record in the first half while making a layup with 45.3 seconds to go. Prior to Sunday’s game, the record stood at 7,488 points.

Diana Taurasi, so far, has played her entire WNBA career as a member of the Phoenix Mercury. During her illustrious career, she’s been able to win three WNBA Championship titles, two Finals MVP awards, and one league MVP award. She’s also made the All-WNBA First Team nine times.

Tina Thompson spoke about Taurasi’s accomplishment with high praises after she broke her record.

“She has done amazing things and I am so grateful that I’ve been able to share many of those with her. I am really excited for Diana and I think she is going to blow that record out of the water.”

Lakers’ future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was in attendance with his two daughters on Father’s Day at the Staples Center in Los Angeles when Taurasi reached the milestone. Kobe also had high praises about Diana when speaking about her accomplishment.

Prior to her WNBA career, Diana Taurasi was a part of the star-studded Connecticut Huskies in college alongside another WNBA great, Sue Bird. While at Connecticut, Taurasi played for legendary women’s NCAA coach Gene Auriemma.

She helped the Huskies win three consecutive NCAA Championships. By the end of her tenure, she led the team to a record of 139-8. She finished with averages of 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.

Two seasons later, she was inducted into the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball “Huskies of Honor.”

Diana Taurasi has enjoyed a very successful career and will go down as one of the best to ever bless the game of women’s basketball. Throughout her entire career, her competitive spirit and ability to win on the college and pro level has solidified her a spot in the WNBA Hall of Fame.</s>Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi needed just 14 points to surpass Tina Thompson on the WNBA All-Time scoring list and she took care of business in the first half of her team’s 90-59 loss against the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. With 45 seconds left in the second quarter, Taurasi scored on a layup which put her over Thompson’s 7,488 points and into the history books. Check it out:

Thompson issued a classy statement on Taurasi passing her on the All-Time scoring list (via ESPN):

“Congratulations to Diana on becoming the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. I am excited that it is Diana and it is my absolute pleasure to pass the torch on to her. Diana is one of the best players to ever play the game and definitely one of my favorites. She has done amazing things and I am so grateful that I’ve been able to share many of those with her.”

Wanting to make note of such a momentous occasion, play was stopped and Taurasi was given the game ball. She also received a standing ovation from Sparks’ fans at Staples Center.

Among those in attendance for the game was Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who praised Taurasi on her achievement during an in-game interview:</s>Basketball player Diana Taurasi made WNBA history on Sunday at the Staples Center when she broke the league's career scoring record.

The Pheonix Mercury guard scored her 7,489th career point in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks, surpassing Tina Thompson's lifetime total of 7,488 points. Taurasi scored 14 points in the game's first half, finishing with a total of 19 to defeat the Sparks 90-59.

“It’s pretty special when you pass Tina in anything, she’s been such an amazing player for the WNBA and just for basketball in general, she’s such an icon,” Taurasi told Yahoo Sports . “And when you start thinking about you know more of the people that you’ve shared the court with, the coaches, the teams, you know I’ve been pretty lucky to be around a lot great players.”

The 35-year-old has won three WNBA championships and four Olympic gold metals. In 2011, fans voted her one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time.

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When Taurasi shot the record-scoring point with 45 seconds left in the first half, the game screeched to a stop. The crowd gave Taurasi a standing ovation and she was presented with the game ball. Even former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant stood to congratulate Taurasi on her achievement.

This is only Taurasi's 13th season in the WNBA while Thompson played 17. Taurasi has extended her contract with the league through 2020.
In basketball, Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury becomes the WNBA's all-time scoring leader, surpassing the record of Tina Thompson (7,488 points) in the Mercury's 90–59 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.