Best of Yardbarker: Diana Taurasi makes history
This week kicked off with history, as Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi broke Tina Thompson's record for most points in WNBA history. Prior to her game Friday night, Taurasi had stretched the record to 7,494 points and counting. Considering the 35-year-old is averaging 18.3 points through the first 10 games of the WNBA season, there's no telling how many points she'll rack up before all is said and done.
Her star power, along with an ever-expanding talent pool, has helped the WNBA reach historic heights, and Diana Taurasi setting the WNBA all-time scoring record is another leap for the league: "She scored her first points for the Phoenix Mercury on May 20, 2004, by cutting around defenders in the perimeter for an open three-pointer. Adrian Williams-Strong was sitting in the post against Sacramento Monarchs center Yolanda Griffith when she saw the dynamic rookie guard out of UConn in her purview. A quick flick of the wrist was the start of a career that would shatter records, inspire and challenge future generations of athletes, and most importantly, help push a fledgling league to greater heights."
Given that she did just that, it inspired the 'Diana Taurasi, greatest of all-time' quiz:
The Mercury took Taurasi with the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, and while Phoenix probably couldn't envision all the superstar from UConn would accomplish, the franchise clearly made the right pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers can only hope their back-to-back No. 1 overall picks have a fraction of the impact on the NBA that Taurasi has had on the WNBA. After drafting Ben Simmons with the first pick in 2016, Philadelphia followed up by taking Markelle Fultz following a trade with the Boston Celtics for the top pick. Immediately after Fultz, the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Lonzo Ball.
Those first two picks, which were expected prior to the actual draft, inspired the 'Process is shown to be trustworthy once again' quiz:
Ball, of course, is the latest NBA player to be taken second overall. He joins the likes of Kevin Durant, who finally earned his first NBA championship this season, taking home NBA Finals MVP for the Golden State Warriors.
In honor of Durant, we here at Yardbarker took the time to rank the No. 2 overall NBA Draft picks in the lottery era prior to Thursday night's 2017 NBA Draft. Check out where Durant landed on the list:
One player on that list, Tyson Chandler, was drafted right out of high school. That is no longer possible since the NBA instituted a rule that in order to be draft-eligible, a player must be at least a year removed from his high school graduation date.
However, news is out that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is open to discussing the so-called "one-and-done rule," cracking the door on the possibility of allowing players to go from high school to NBA once again.
So, we leave you this week with the 'NBA Draft going back to school?' quiz:
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