The Phoenix Mercury are riding an impressive three-game winning streak that has propelled the team to fourth position in the regular-season standings. It is far from a coincidence that the franchise located in Arizona has gained a devastating spring to its step during the second half of the campaign, as MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas created WNBA history with her latest performance.
During the Mercury’s dominant 60-95 victory over the Caitlin-Clark-less Indiana Fever, Thomas registered her third consecutive triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. She became the first player in the WNBA record books to achieve this feat. This was the 33-year-old's 19th triple-double of her career—the most of any player in league history.
With the Minnesota Lynx rightfully stealing the plaudits for their dominating performances in the Western Conference, the Mercury have quietly established a free-flowing offense and a dangerous, star-studded roster that has the potential to mount a serious assault on the 2025 Championship.
The Mercury’s stars are gaining momentum at the right time
Thomas is not the only Phoenix Mercury player to improve her form as the franchise begins preparations for the postseason. Satou Sabally has rekindled her magic on the court after a rough stretch of games saw the star demoted to the bench for a recent matchup against the Atlanta Dream.
However, after racking up 38 points versus the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever in her last two matchups, it is obvious that the 27-year-old is playing with renewed energy and confidence, which is rubbing off on her teammates, as the dynamic forward is not the only player performing at an improved level.
Despite a turbulent layover in Indiana, DeWanner Bonner has swiftly re-acclimatized herself to her new but familiar surroundings in Phoenix—she was drafted by the franchise in 2009 but left to join the Connecticut Sun for the 2020 season—and has exhibited traits of a veteran forward who can still contribute to a championship-contending team.
Bonner enacted revenge on her previous employers during the history-making performance by her fiancé, Alyssa Thomas. The 37-year-old scored a season-high 23 points in 24 minutes and grabbed seven rebounds in the process.
While Phoenix may not be at the summit of their conference, the three-time WNBA champions will believe that the recent upturn in their stars' form could be a catalyst to battle with championship favourites, the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, for eternal glory.