In a night filled with emotions, Alyssa Thomas shined with a historic performance, leading the Phoenix Mercury to a crucial victory over the Los Angeles Sparks with a score of 92-84. Thomas not only guided her team, but also set a new record in the WNBA.
Thomas: The Triple-Double Master
Alyssa Thomas proved her worth once again by recording her seventh triple-double of the season, an unprecedented milestone in WNBA history. Her impressive numbers of 12 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists solidified her position as one of the most complete and dominant players in the league. With this feat, Thomas surpassed his own record of six triple-doubles in a season, set in 2023. The player secured her 18th career triple-double with 2:50 minutes left in the game, sealing her name in the history books of women’s basketball.Thomas’s versatility didn’t stop there. She became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 10 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in the same game. In addition, she is the first player in WNBA or NBA history to achieve at least 12 rebounds and 15 assists in consecutive games. Despite battling an illness, Thomas demonstrated exceptional resilience, leading his team to victory. His impact on the game was evident from the start, even after a first half in which he only scored one point. In August, Thomas achieved her sixth triple-double, surpassing any other player in WNBA history in a single month. No other player has achieved more than one triple-double in a calendar month, and no other player has surpassed four triple-doubles in their career.I think this has been my game throughout my career. A lot of credit to my teammates, who make their open shots. I can feel comfortable and play my game, make the reads I see, and it wasn’t different tonight.
Alyssa Thomas
With this victory, Phoenix (23-14) moved up to fourth place in the WNBA standings, surpassing New York (23-15). Satou Sabally led the Mercury with 19 points, while Kahleah Copper added 18. Sami Whitcomb made five of her first six three-pointers and finished with 17 points. DeWanna Bonner contributed 14 points. The Mercury demonstrated their effectiveness from the three-point line, with a total of 11 out of 25 successful attempts, nine of them coming from players who came off the bench. From Los Angeles, Dearica Hamby stood out with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. Rickea Jackson added 21 points and 4 three-pointers, and Kelsey Plum scored 20 points, reaching 700 points in the season for the third time in her career.It’s too hard to defend. I mean, she can score. You really want to take away her vision because she can pass. And then, it’s a matchup problem every night. She’s doing this every night.
Kahleah Copper
