Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury are in the midst of a tough season. They sit 12th in the standings with a 13-24 record and have already been eliminated from playoff contention with still seven games left on the schedule. The six-time All-Star shared her thoughts about the unwanted news.
Phoenix suffered a 99-89 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Saturday. Thomas posted a triple-double of 11 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, but her efforts did not secure a victory. The team failed to stop Angel Reese, who registered a career-high 31 points, along with 14 rebounds and four steals.
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Thomas addressed reporters after the game and shared her thoughts about missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
“It’s something I haven’t experienced probably since my first couple years in the league,” Thomas said. “It’s definitely disappointing. Definitely not what we anticipated for the season.
“But there’s still games to be played. Hard to say what the goal is, but I think it’s just about continuing to build our brand of basketball. And win or lose, we still got to go out there and give everything we have.”
The New York Liberty selected Thomas as the No. 4 overall pick in 2014 before trading her to the Connecticut Sun on draft night. The 6-foot-2 forward has helped lead the Sun to the playoffs for eight straight seasons, from 2017 through 2024. In February 2025, the Mercury acquired her via a trade, and she competed in the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces last season.
Thomas is averaging 14.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game this year. While she and Phoenix won’t qualify for the postseason, the four-time All-WNBA forward has been a bright spot for the team.
Finishing the regular season strong will give the Mercury some momentum for 2027 and give their fans reason to be excited about the future.
