PHOENIX—Ahead Alyssa Thomas is enjoying at an MVP-caliber stage in her first season with the Phoenix Mercury.
This season, Thomas recorded her seventh triple-double, probably the most in a single season in WNBA historical past, through the Mercury’s win over the Sparks in Los Angeles. Regardless of coping with an sickness, she led Phoenix on each ends of the courtroom.
Right here’s the main points on the “#ATForMVP” cardboards. #WNBA https://t.co/01SKCT2m6s pic.twitter.com/fYbkT6Omsp
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) August 28, 2025
Whereas Thomas is within the MVP dialog alongside Minnesota Lynx ahead Napheesa Collier and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, will probably be fascinating to see which participant takes residence this 12 months’s award.
Alyssa Thomas is Having an MVP-Caliber Season as a Level-Ahead
Throughout Thursday’s victory over the Sky, Thomas led the Mercury to their third straight win with clutch performs within the crunch time. After Chicago guard Kia Nurse tied the sport with a jumper, Thomas scored seven of the final 11 factors to safe the victory for Phoenix in entrance of a sellout crowd.
Extra importantly, Thomas turned the primary participant in WNBA historical past to file 300 or extra assists in a single season for 3 consecutive years. She additionally broke Caitlin Clark’s file in 2024 for many factors assisted, totaling 759, and tied Sabrina Ionescu’s 2022 file for a streak of 11games with 10 or extra factors, 5 or extra rebounds, and 5 or extra assists.
“Yeah, we preserve speaking about (how essential Alyssa Thomas is to this Phoenix Mercury workforce),” Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts stated Thursday. “Simply the performs that she made down the stretch have been massive time, proper? She’s a winner. She cares about profitable. She desires to win. And she or he has received, profitable follows her due to her effort and struggle and she or he’s a giant, massive a part of what we’re doing.”
Together with her contributions on each ends of the courtroom and a median of 15 or extra factors, 9 or extra assists, eight or extra rebounds, a number of steals, and capturing over 50 p.c from the sphere, Thomas is on tempo to affix LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Nikola Jokic as the one NBA/WNBA gamers to realize this.
Superior seeing the Mercury proceed to play effectively! Love watching this workforce play exhausting, compete for all 40 minutes, and do all of the little issues to win. That’s 5 out of 6 wins and our residence crowd was wonderful as at all times! pic.twitter.com/APL4hLOA91
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) August 29, 2025
Diana Taurasi Final Received WNBA MVP in 2009 with the Mercury
Though Thomas missed 5 video games earlier within the season attributable to a calf harm, she stays the workforce’s defensive anchor and first facilitator.
“Quite a lot of respect to AT (Alyssa Thomas),” Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper stated on August 14. “She doesn’t care about what everybody else does. She does what she does very effectively. She doesn’t go exterior of that, and what she brings for what we have already got is wonderful. Simply that management, and I don’t assume there’s a greater passer than her at her place. So I really like enjoying together with her.”
The final time the Phoenix Mercury had a participant win MVP honors was Diana Taurasi in 2009, when the workforce completed 23-11 and received the championship over the Indiana Fever. Moreover, in 2021, heart Brittney Griner completed second in MVP voting, the identical 12 months Jonquel Jones received.
Fortunate Quantity 7: Alyssa Thomas Units a Profession-Excessive with Seven Triple-Doubles in a Season
On Friday’s residence matchup in opposition to the Golden Stateno Valkyries, Thomas recorded her sixth triple-double of the season, matching her profession greatest from the 2023 season with the Connecticut Solar. In that recreation, she posted 13 factors, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists, surpassing Cappie Pondexter’s and her personal franchise file of 15 assists in a single recreation.
To not point out, the Mercury’s fan base, also referred to as the X-Issue, broke out with MVP chants that erupted within the PHX area after the general public announcer shared Thomas’ stats. Phoenix ahead DeWanna Bonner stated, “What else extra do you should see?”
pic.twitter.com/x0i8lOqqQs
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 27, 2025
“I feel it’s the last word signal of respect from a fanbase,” Thomas stated concerning the Mercury’s fanbase after Phoenix’s win over the Golden State Valkyries on August 22. “Not too many individuals can say that they’ve had a crowd cheering for them like that, however I actually admire it. I do know I’ve acquired them supporting me one hundred pc, and I’m simply tremendous grateful for these moments.”
Alyssa Thomas Leads Mercury’s Clutch Wins
All through the season, the Mercury have turn out to be probably the most clutch groups, due to Thomas’ management and contributions. Phoenix is ranked second within the league with a 12-6 clutch file, trailing the Las Vegas Aces (14-5), and leads the league in workforce factors per recreation (9.8) and rebounds per recreation (3.8).
In a matchup in opposition to the Indiana Fever on August 7, Thomas turned the primary participant in WNBA historical past to file three consecutive triple-doubles.
“I imply, it means every little thing,” Satou Sabally stated after the Mercury’s win over the Solar on August 5. “Nobody has ever completed that earlier than, so she’s actually writing historical past.”
“And as teammates, we get to be a part of it, and we’re simply in awe, and it’s simply wonderful to see somebody proceed to push the ball exhausting, be relentless within the pursuit of the sport, and actually, encourage youthful folks to do the identical. I imply, even in warm-up she’s the primary one. So it’s simply actually nice, and it simply speaks to her recreation that she’s effectively rounded throughout.”
Phoenix Mercury Fueled by Alyssa Thomas’ Two-Method Influence
As a member of the 2023 Connecticut Solar, Thomas completed as a runner-up in a good MVP race that included New York Liberty ahead Breanna Stewart, the winner, and Las Vegas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson.
Thomas’ playmaking, management, and defensive prowess are what make the Mercury particular. Final 12 months, Phoenix struggled each defensively and on the boards, however this season the workforce has turned the nook due to the addition of Thomas.
The Mercury rank fifth within the league in workforce rebounds per recreation with 34.6, third in defensive score at 99.6, and fourth in NET score at 4.2. Final season, Phoenix ranked eleventh in rebounds per recreation with 32.3.
“AT (Alyssa Thomas) is an unbelievable participant,” Tibbetts stated after the Mercury’s win over the Fever on August 5. “She’d most likely be the primary to let you know or wouldn’t wish to discuss it, somehow, however I feel she’s most likely been missed her entire profession on how nice she is. Simply the way in which that she performs is particular. She competes on each possession defensively.
“She desires to see her teammates succeed the way in which she passes the ball. I’ve stated it, we have to preserve profitable for her to win the MVP, it’s a must to be one of many higher groups on this league. I feel we’ve confirmed that, clearly, there’s different nice gamers, you already know, AT will not be going to speak about herself in that dialog, however she simply brings a lot to our group each evening, and I’m simply actually completely happy for her with the efficiency that she had tonight.”
Can the Phoenix Mercury Win the 2025 WNBA Title?
After a vital offseason, the Mercury determined to half methods with Griner (who signed with the Atlanta Dream) and Taurasi (retirement), who have been thought-about probably the greatest duos in franchise historical past.
In response, Phoenix introduced in Sabally and Thomas to pair with Copper, and the workforce has put collectively certainly one of its greatest seasons in franchise historical past. Their 25 wins are the second-most in franchise historical past, behind the 29 wins from the 2014 season, after they received the WNBA title.
After profitable their final six of seven video games and clinching a playoff tiebreaker over the New York Liberty on Saturday, the Mercury sit fourth within the standings with a 25-14 file. WhenThomas, Sabally, and Copper every rating ten or extra factors, Phoenix is 13-2.
“…One stat that I did see at present, which I feel is superior, is clearly you already know folks love factors relating to MVP, however she leads the league with factors and assisted factors mixed, which I feel is a fairly particular stat,” Tibbetts stated after the Mercury’s win over the Liberty Saturday. “It reveals that she’s scoring, perhaps not on the highest clip, however her assists sort of take that over. So anyway, I really like the AT (Alyssa Thomas) for MVP dialog. I feel she deserves it.
“Clearly, there’s different folks which are within the combine too…she’s been missed most likely her entire profession, and it’s essential for us to maintain profitable to maintain that alive. In my view, she deserves all of the credit score that she’s getting, and I do know she doesn’t wish to discuss herself, however I understand how a lot she appreciates the X-Issue, and what they create and the love that they’ve given her each evening.”
Having reached the playoffs in 11 of the final 12 years, the Mercury goal to keep up their success and transfer previous the primary spherical for the primary time since 2021, after they reached the WNBA Finals.
Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury will host the Indiana Fever subsequent on Tuesday, September 2, at 10 p.m. ET.
