WNBA MVP candidate is on track to join NBA elite with historic season

Alyssa Thomas is putting up big numbers.
Atlanta Dream v Phoenix Mercury
Atlanta Dream v Phoenix Mercury | Aryanna Frank/GettyImages

Alyssa Thomas has been an MVP candidate for several years now. This season is no exception. Thomas has been one of the best all-around players in the league and even put up a big 29-point performance against Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx. 

The Phoenix Mercury star is also on track to finish the season with historic numbers—a feat that would only boost her standing as one of the top players in the league. 

According to Ben Pickman of The Athletic, Thomas is on track to become the first WNBA player to finish a season with an average of at least 14 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and one steal while converting over 50 percent of her field goal attempts. She would join LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Nikola Jokic as the only professional basketball players in a U.S. league to reach that milestone. 

Alyssa Thomas’s first season after leaving the Sun is already a success

Alyssa Thomas entered the WNBA in 2014. She was originally drafted fourth overall by the New York Liberty but was traded to Connecticut on draft day. Thomas spent eleven seasons with the Connecticut Sun, leading the team on several deep playoff runs. 

After the 2024 season, she decided to leave and play for a new team for the first time in her WNBA career. The Sun traded her to Phoenix where she joined Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally to form a new big three. After a little detour in Indiana, DeWanna Bonner also joined her on the Mercury’s roster. 

Thomas is one of the team’s most productive players, leading the Mercury in rebounds, assists, and steals per game. She also leads the WNBA in assists per game with 9.4. The next-closest players are Caitlin Clark with 8.8 and Courtney Williams with six assists per game. 

The Mercury also emerged as one of the legitimate contenders this season. With 15 wins and nine losses, they have the third-best record behind only the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. 

Alyssa Thomas is making a strong MVP case

Napheesa Collier entered the season as the favorite to win MVP before even playing a single game. After finishing second in voting behind A’ja Wilson last year and playing a stellar first Unrivaled season, Collier was obviously ready to take her game to the next level. While she has a very strong case and is still one of the front-runners for the award, Alyssa Thomas is giving her some serious competition. 

Thomas excels at every aspect of the game and does everything she attempts with great efficiency.