Mercury fans are used to seeing Alyssa Thomas make headlines by now. The former Connecticut Sun star has been on a tear all season long, leading the Mercury to a 22-14 record and a top seed while racking up triple-doubles at an insane rate.
After recording 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists in an 81-72 win over the Golden State Valkyries, Thomas has six triple-doubles, tying her own record for the most triple-doubles in a single season. With eight games left in the season and Thomas not showing any signs of slowing down, she is on track to set a new record.
SIX TRIPLE-DOUBLES THIS SEASON FOR ALYSSA THOMAS 🔥
— espnW (@espnW) August 23, 2025
Thomas has over 4x as many triple-doubles in the regular season compared to anyone in WNBA history 💪 pic.twitter.com/Wh8G5pIvFX
She is also on track to challenge Napheesa Collier for the MVP award. Collier entered the season as the favorite to win the award, but it is far from an obvious choice now. While Collier is sidelined with an ankle injury, Thomas and A’ja Wilson continue to make their own cases.
Despite her obvious greatness, Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbitts feels like his star player doesn’t get enough credit. “She’s been overlooked this year. She’s been overlooked her whole career when it comes to the MVP race,” Tibbetts said after Thomas’s big game against the Valkyries.
Alyssa Thomas is no stranger to the MVP race
Alyssa Thomas has been an MVP candidate for several years now. While she only finished fifth in MVP voting last season, she finished second behind Breanna Stewart in 2023 and fourth in 2022.
Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 2023 while leading the Sun to the third seed behind Las Vegas and New York. With 16 points, 8.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, Thomas’s averages look very similar to when she finished second in MVP voting.
Thomas is actually on track to set a new career high for points per game. Scoring is only one of many ways she impacts games, though. Even when Thomas doesn’t score much, her rebounding, defense, and playmaking fuel her team. Last season, she only averaged 10.6 points per game, and the Sun still finished with the third-best record in the league.
Nevertheless, Thomas doesn’t always get the credit she deserves. This year, she may be able to change that and take home the MVP award. The more time Collier misses and the more big games Thomas puts together, the closer the race gets. Even after missing some time, Collier has a strong case. After all, she isn’t the only star who has missed time this season. The MVP race has definitely gotten closer in her absence, though.