Alyssa Thomas Recaptures WNBA Assists Record
In an exciting encounter, Alyssa Thomas has reclaimed the record for assists in a single WNBA season, demonstrating her exceptional skill and leadership on the court. The player, focused on helping her team win and improve their position in the playoffs, had no idea she was about to break the record. Thomas surpassed the 337 assists mark set by Caitlin Clark last season. Despite this individual achievement, Thomas’ team, the Mercury, did not achieve victory against the Connecticut Sun, losing by a score of 87-84.Thomas needed six assists to break the record in Saturday’s game against Connecticut, a team he played with for many years before joining the Phoenix as a free agent this season. The assist that the record gave was a three-pointer by Kathryn Westbeld in the second quarter. Thomas finished the game with 10 assists, totaling 342 for the season.Honestly, I didn’t know it was that close. I didn’t focus on it, but I definitely give credit to my teammates, I couldn’t do it without them. It’s been a big change for me this year with a new offense that allows me to go out and make the reads I need to make.
Alyssa Thomas
Thomas had already held the record in 2023, with 316 assists, when he played for Connecticut. Clark broke it a year later, in her rookie season. Now, Thomas, 33, who also holds the record for triple-doubles in a season and in her WNBA career, has regained the record. She only needed 37 games to achieve it. The most impressive thing about Thomas’s achievement is that he has achieved it from the small forward position. Since his time with the Sun, Thomas has been a “point forward”, facilitating the Mercury’s offense. Many of his assists this year have been for three-point shots, almost half of them from behind the three-point line. Thomas is in seventh place on the league’s all-time assists list, with over 1,800 assists, being the only forward in the top 10. This season, Thomas has averaged 9.2 assists per game, a career high, although still below Courtney Vandersloot’s record of 9.95 set in 2020.I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by so many great three-point shooters, so they make my job easier. I pass the ball to the open person, and the rest is up to them to score. I give them credit, they have my back like that.
Alyssa Thomas
