WNBA fines Diana Taurasi for contact with official

The WNBA issued a $2,500 fine Thursday to one of its top players, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, for making "inappropriate contact" with a game official.

The sanction involved a play in the second quarter of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Taurasi went on to play a pivotal role in the Mercury's 91-86 win over the Chicago Sky, scoring eight of her 20 points in overtime. Phoenix leveled the best-of-five series at one game apiece heading into Game 3 at Chicago on Friday.

Taurasi, 39, is a former WNBA Most Valuable Player and a three-time league champion. She is a 10-time All-Star and five-time league scoring champion.

Through eight playoff games this year, Taurasi is averaging 19.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. In the regular season, she averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

—Field Level Media/Reuters