SEATTLE – Tina Thompson scored 10 points to become the first WNBA player to reach the 7,000 for her career and help the Seattle Storm beat the Chicago Sky, 75-60, on Tuesday.
Thompson hit a short jumper to surpass the milestone with 9:03 left in the first half. The 15-year veteran entered the game seven shy of the mark. She had all of her points in the first half.
“I didn’t know about it until today,” Thompson said about the chance to break 7,000 points. “Winning is first and foremost for me. These things are great and it’s something I’ll probably relish in and enjoy after my career. But for me winning is always first so getting a win definitely makes it sweeter.”
Seattle coach Brian Agler said he enjoyed the chance to see Thompson reach the milestone.
“She’s just a true professional,” Agler said. “She comes to work every day and takes care of herself. She’s got one of the nicest touches on the basketball that I’ve ever been around. She knows how to score. She’s a good teammate and a proven winner.
“You watch her play, and she makes winning basketball plays. She’ll go down as one of the all-time greats.”
Point guard Sue Bird, who had eight assists for Seattle after missing three games with a hip injury, put some perspective on Thompson’s achievement.
“It’s very impressive and definitely speaks to her ability to score, her longevity and her consistency,” Bird said. “You can’t overlook those things. There’s going to be a lot of players that come and go in this league, and only a few are going to have those qualities, and she’s one of them.”
Ann Wauters scored 16 points, Katie Smith added 13, and Ewelina Kobryn had 12 for Seattle (14-18). The Storm, which already had clinched its ninth consecutive playoff berth, snapped a four-game losing streak.
Epiphanny Prince had 21 points for Chicago (13-19).
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