With slightly below 4 minutes remaining within the Phoenix Mercury’s dominant 95-60 win over the Indiana Fever on Thursday evening, Alyssa Thomas noticed her fiancée DeWanna Bonner open within the nook and fired a go her method. Bonner rapidly launched a 3-pointer that caught nothing however internet, and the gang inside PHX Area erupted.
Bonner’s shot gave Thomas her tenth help of the sport and put the versatile ahead in a category of her personal. Thomas completed with 18 factors, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to change into the primary participant in WNBA historical past to file three consecutive triple-doubles.
Over the past three video games — all wins — Thomas is averaging 13.7 factors, 11 rebounds and 10.7 assists on 61.5% taking pictures, and the Mercury have outscored their opponents by 73 factors with Thomas on the ground.
“I could not do it with out my teammates,” Thomas mentioned. “I wanted that final help and everybody needed to make it possible for I acquired it, so simply tremendous blissful to be right here, tremendous grateful for my crew and it is an honor.”
Thomas now has 4 triple-doubles this season and 15 for her profession, which is way and away probably the most in WNBA historical past. In truth, Thomas has extra triple-doubles than the subsequent 5 gamers on the all-time record mixed.
Most triple-doubles in WNBA historical past (common season solely)
Thomas spent the primary 11 seasons of her profession with the Connecticut Sun and took the franchise to the Finals twice. Final season, nevertheless, she turned vocal in regards to the crew’s lack of assets, significantly a follow facility. Within the winter, she determined she needed a change of surroundings and was traded to the Mercury.
The Solar, who additionally misplaced their coach and different key gamers resembling Bonner and Brionna Jones, are caught in final place at 5-24, whereas the Mercury are in fourth at 19-11 due to Thomas’ brilliance.
Thomas missed a number of weeks early within the season with a calf harm, however she has been unbelievable since then. After Thursday, she’s averaging 15.9 factors on 53.3% taking pictures, 8.7 rebounds, a league-leading 9.2 assists, and 1.6 steals. She’s on tempo for career-highs in scoring, assists and subject aim share, and the Mercury are 17-8 together with her within the lineup in comparison with 2-3 with out her.
Only a few weeks in the past, the WNBA MVP race appeared over, however Napheesa Collier‘s ankle harm has opened the door for Thomas to make a late cost. After Thursday evening, Collier is a -420 favourite, per Caesars Sportsbook, with Thomas sitting at +250.
Napheesa Collier injury update: Lynx star and WNBA MVP frontrunner out at least two weeks with ankle sprain
Jack Maloney
Collier went down on Aug. 2 and is anticipated to overlook a minimum of two weeks. So long as that timeline shouldn’t be prolonged considerably and Collier returns to her pre-injury kind, the award remains to be hers to lose. Nevertheless, ought to she find yourself lacking three-to-four weeks, and if Thomas continues to place up absurd numbers, the dialog goes to get attention-grabbing.
Thomas has completed within the prime 5 in MVP voting in every of the final three seasons and was the runner-up to Breanna Stewart within the historic 2023 race.