Mercury's Diana Taurasi out at least four weeks with fractured sternum

May 25 (UPI) -- Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi is expected to sit out the next four weeks because of a fractured sternum, the team announced Tuesday.

Taurasi, who is the WNBA's leading career scorer, suffered the injury May 16 against the Connecticut Sun. She played in the Mercury's next two games before undergoing a CT scan this week, which revealed the small fracture.

With the Mercury's provided timeline, Taurasi could return somewhere around June 22, a little more than three weeks before the WNBA starts its Olympic break July 15. She is expected to compete in her fifth Olympic Games.

This is the second time in the last three seasons that Taurasi will miss significant time due to an injury. She underwent back surgery before the 2019 season that limited her to just six games that year.

The 38-year-old Taurasi currently has 8,994 career points and is close to becoming the first player in WNBA history to reach 9,000. Second on the league's scoring list is Tina Thompson, who retired in 2013 with 7,488 points.

Taurasi has averaged 15.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds this season. The Mercury have a 2-2 record.