The Phoenix Mercury are flying high to close out the season. They won six consecutive games to secure a 27-14 record, tying the Aces’ and Dream’s records and securing a 3-game advantage over the Liberty.
One major reason for the Mercury’s success is Alyssa Thomas. The 33-year-old is in the middle of a career season, setting a new triple-double record and throwing her name into the MVP race once again. Over the Mercury’s most recent win streak, Thomas recorded two triple-doubles and got incredibly close to doing so two other times. She recorded 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in an 85-79 win over the Fever, and then followed up that performance with 12 points 11 rebounds, and 9 assists against the Mystics.
With those nine assists against Washington, Thomas entered an exclusive club. She joined Caitlin Clark as the only player to record at least 330 assists in a season.
Alyssa Thomas does it all for the Mercury
Alyssa Thomas has been the engine behind the Mercury’s success this season. She leads the team in rebounds, assists, steals, and minutes per game and is tied with Kahleah Copper for the second-most points per game on the team. Thomas impacts every aspect of the game on both ends of the floor.
Across the league, Thomas ranks fifth in total rebounds and first in total assists. The latter feat is especially impressive considering the margin between Thomas and the next-best player. Thomas totaled 332 assists over 36 games. Courtney Williams is next in line with 257.
After a historic stretch that saw her record 15+ assists in two consecutive games—a feat no player had ever accomplished before—Thomas was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Player of the Week isn’t the only award Thomas is in the running for, though.
Thomas is one of the top MVP candidates this season
Going into the season it seemed inevitable that Napheesa Collier would win her first MVP award. An ankle injury and phenomenal performances from A’ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas made it a tight race. Thomas may not receive as much media attention as other players, but her ability to defend at a high level and shatter triple-double records makes her one of the most valuable players in the league.
Last year, giving the MVP award to Wilson was a relatively easy decision, but the previous year Thomas was part of a tight MVP race similar to this year’s contest. Breanna Stewart, Thomas, and Wilson all made strong cases, and the former just barely edged out her competition for the award.