Despite their efforts, the Phoenix Mercury were unable to snap the Las Vegas Aces’ impressive eight-game winning streak, suffering a heavy 83-61 defeat at home on Thursday night. The Mercury struggled with their shooting, connecting on just 22 of 71 attempts from the field (31.0 percent) and managing only six of 32 from three-point range. Contributing to their woes was Aces bench guard Dana Evans, who excelled with 17 points on 7-9 shooting, and a game-high plus-22 rating.
Even in this loss, Mercury standout Alyssa Thomas should hold her head high for her performance as both the team’s offensive leader and primary defender against reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. She recorded 17 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks, delivering another impressive all-around game while making history.
As highlighted by the official ClutchPoints account on X, by achieving her 100th career double-double in this matchup, Thomas became only the eighth player to join the exclusive double-double century club — a group comprising the league’s elite.
In this distinguished cohort, Thomas shares space with Tina Charles (199 double-doubles, the most in WNBA history), Sylvia Fowles (193), Lisa Leslie (157), Candace Parker (154), Wilson (117), Nneka Ogwumike (115), and her former teammate Jonquel Jones (100).
Among these eight players, all have claimed at least one MVP award except for Thomas. This emphasizes her presence among the league’s all-time greats, a significant accomplishment, even without the highest individual honor to her name.
However, Thomas’s focus is not on personal accolades; her primary goal is to secure a championship for the Mercury in 2025.
Alyssa Thomas excels in her inaugural season with the Mercury
This season, the 33-year-old Thomas is enjoying a career year, averaging 16.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.9 assists over 30 games in her first season with the Mercury. She boasts a career-best true shooting percentage of 57.5 this year, showing a remarkable improvement in efficiency even while taking on a larger offensive role in Phoenix.
Although Thomas is unlikely to claim the MVP title this season—given Napheesa Collier’s strong performance for the Minnesota Lynx and Wilson’s resurgence as the Aces continue to dominate—she undoubtedly deserves recognition for revitalizing Phoenix as a competitive team once again.
Image Source: Alyssa Thomas @ Instagram
