Diana Taurasi has been a prolific scorer from the moment she stepped onto the floor in the WNBA. She averaged 17 points her rookie season for the Phoenix Mercury, has a career average of 20 points per game, won five scoring titles, and is third all-time in scoring with 7,156 points.

That ability doesn’t go away when it’s time for international play. For the third straight game, it was Taurasi leading the way for the U.S. Women’s National Team, as she poured in 16 first quarter points, on her way to finishing with 25, tying Lisa Leslie for the 10th highest single-game output in USAB Women’s Olympic history.

Taurasi’s aggressiveness early in the tournament has been a bit of a surprise, at least in the eyes of Coach Geno Auriemma.

“Usually Diana doesn’t assert herself like she has in the first three games,” Auriemma said postgame. “She’s usually waiting for the game to come to her, get everybody else involved. And these first three games of the tournament, she’s just come out and taken over right from the beginning.”

In the midst of taking over, Taurasi also got herself a new line in the record books. The sharpshooting guard broke her own USAB Women’s Olympic record for most three-pointers in a game this afternoon, going 6/10 from behind the arc. The previous record of five in one game was a mark Taurasi hit multiple times, including in 2008 against Russia, and a few days ago against Senegal.

The U.S. ended up cruising to victory today over Serbia, 110-84, but it wasn’t easy early on, as Serbia held 17-16 lead with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter. Taurasi’s brilliant play in the frame, in which she dropped four of her three balls, and 16 points overall, were huge in settling things down for the U.S.

Taurasi’s 25 points were an American team-high for the third straight game, and moved her tournament average to 17.7 points, good for a tie for fourth amongst all players. Interestingly enough, the player she’s tied with is her Phoenix Mercury teammate, Australian Penny Taylor.

With all the offensive talent on the squad, the scoring has been spread out for the most part, but Taurasi has established herself as the clear leader. And if these first few games are any indication, her tenacity and leadership are going to carry the team far, perhaps to a gold medal.

But for now they’re just focused on getting better and taking care of the next opponent. As Taurasi said after the win against Serbia, “If we live in that kind of age of when are we going to lose, you’re probably going to lose. You just keep looking forward to the next game, our next opponent, how can we get better as a group, as a team.”