Taurasi becomes WNBA all-time scoring leader
About the only thing missing from Diana Taurasi’s record-setting day was a victory.
Taurasi became the WNBA’s career scoring leader in front of her family, friends and Kobe Bryant.
With her parents watching, Taurasi passed Tina Thompson on Sunday in the Phoenix Mercury’s 9059 loss to the Sparks in Los Angeles.
“It’s pretty special I got to do it in front of my family on Father’s Day in LA,” said Taurasi, who finished with 19 points.
Taurasi came into the needing 14 points to break Thompson’s mark and the Mercury guard did it late in the first half on a layup with her team down big.
“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.”
Taurasi stands alone atop the league’s scoring list. She has 7,494 points and has averaged 19.9 points in her career.
She said in the weeks leading up to the historic points that she wasn’t thinking about the record.
Tim Hague, the former UFC fighter known as “The Thrashing Machine,” died Sunday, two days after he was critically injured when he was knocked out in a boxing match against former Edmonton Eskimos defensive end Adam Braidwood.
Hague’s sister, Jackie Neil, announced the death in a family statement.
“It is with incredible sadness, sorrow and heartbreak to report that Tim has passed away today,” the statement said. “He was surrounded by family, listening to his favorite songs. We will miss him with so greatly.”
The match Friday night at the Shaw Conference Centre was promoted by KO Boxing.
The 33-year-old Hague, who grew up on a farm in Boyle, Alberta, was a heavyweight trained in jiu-jitsu. He was 21-13 as an MMA fighter before switching to boxing last summer.
NHRA
CLAY MILLICAN RACES TO FIRST CAREER NHRA TOP FUEL VICTORY » Clay Millican raced to his first career Top Fuel victory Sunday, beating Leah Pritchett in the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals final.
The Tennessee driver had a 3.825-second pass at 316.38 mph in the final. He won in his 254th Top Fuel start and ninth final-round appearance.
“I love what I do,” Millican said. “There were times I ever wondered if this was going to happen. I don’t deserve the credit. I’m really happy for David Grubnic and all of the boys who work on this car and I mean that one-hundred percent.”
Ron Capps won in Funny Car, and Alex Laughin in Pro Stock.
Capps raced to his fifth victory of the season and 55th of his career. The defending series champion won on a holeshot against teammate Jack Beckman with a pass of 4.054 at 317.05 in a Dodge Charger R/T.
Laughin won for the second time this season, beating Bo Butner with a 6.718 at 205.04 in a Chevrolet Camaro.