Diana Taurasi is the WNBA's leading scorer. Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty

While leading the league in scoring for most of the season and setting single game career-highs in every major statistical category, third-year guard Diana Taurasi has kept the young Mercury in the Western Conference playoff race and may be on her way to her first M.V.P. Award.

The former No. 1 overall pick and 2004 Rookie of the Year is putting up the best numbers of her three-year career with averages of an incredible 24.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while playing a career-high 33.6 minutes per game. She is also shooting a career-high 45% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc. She is almost a lock to break Katie Smith's 2001 record of 23.1 ppg.

Last week, the two-time All-Star and 2004 Olympic Gold-Medalist led the Mercury to a 3-0 record while averaging 29.3 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds. On Thursday, Taurasi scored 25 points in a 112-84 win over the Sting and two days later she scored 34 points as Phoenix defeated the Western Conference leading Sparks 96-80.

Among overall league ranks, Taurasi ranks first in points per game (24.6ppg) and three-pointers made (102), second in field goals made (254), and third in minutes played (1,008). She also ranks No. 6 in assists per game (3.9apg) and No. 10 in three-point field goal percentage (39.8%).

During her three-year WNBA career, the former three-time NCAA National Champion at the University of Connecticut has averaged 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. On July 27, Taurasi scored a career-high 41 points in a 98-95 loss to the Houston Comets.

Week Ten
Date	Opp	Result	Min	FG	3P	FT	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	ST	BL	TO	PF	PTS
August 1	at Chicago	90-70 W	31	10-17	4-8	5-5	0	3	3	4	0	0	1	2	29
August 3	vs. Charlotte	81-67 W	32	7-16	5-7	6-8	1	2	3	4	2	0	2	1	25
August 5	vs. Los Angeles	96-80 W	35	12-20	3-7	7-9	0	3	3	7	2	3	1	2	34