Diana Taurasi's milestone effort lifts Mercury over Dream

Diana Taurasi scored 42 points and became the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 career points as the host Phoenix Mercury routed the Atlanta Dream 91-71 on Thursday night.

Taurasi, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer since 2017, entered the game 18 points short of the milestone and hit it after scoring the first eight points of the third quarter for the Mercury (7-19).

Taurasi, 41, produced a season-high point total for a third consecutive game, easily surpassing the 29 she scored against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, which eclipsed the 24 she scored against the Chicago Sky on Sunday.

Her point total was her highest since she had 44 against the Seattle Storm on July 14, 2010.

Cheyenne Parker had 20 points and seven rebounds before fouling out, Rhyne Howard scored 14 and Allisha Gray added 10 to lead the Dream (14-13).

Taurasi opened the third-quarter scoring by making a driving layup, then sank consecutive 3-pointers -- the second of which gave her exactly 10,000 and increased Phoenix's lead to 51-39 with 8:23 left in the period.

The Mercury hit a brief lull right after the historic basket, but Taurasi added 11 more points as they expanded their lead to 70-54 at the end of the period.

Taurasi missed a 3-point shot on her first-field goal attempt and the Dream scored the game's first seven points. Taurasi made her second 3-point attempt for the Mercury's first points, but Atlanta opened an 11-5 lead.

Phoenix scored the next 12 points, but the Dream followed with a closing 11-0 run to take a 22-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Taurasi sank a 7-footer to put Phoenix up 33-32. A three-point play from Taurasi increased the gap to six with one minute left, and the Mercury's Megan Gustafson sank one of two free throws to send the hosts to the locker room with a 43-36 lead.

Phoenix led by as many as 18 points in the third.