August 8, 2025
Alyssa Thomas makes triple-double history against Fever
Kathryn Westbeld: "They don't call her the engine for no reason"
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who leads the WNBA in career triple-doubles, made history again on Thursday, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish the feat in three consecutive games.
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“I’m just doing me,” Thomas said. “This is what I’ve done my whole entire career. Super grateful for my teammates tonight and allowing me to go after that. But yeah, I’m just super happy to be here. Super grateful for all the support with the fanbase and we’re just going to continue to do us.”
Fittingly, Thomas secured the triple-double when she assisted on a 3-pointer made by her fiancée, DeWanna Bonner, late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s 90-65 win over the Indiana Fever.
“She was wide open in that moment and I knew she was going to knock it down,” Thomas said.
The Phoenix crowd erupted when the historic moment was announced and MVP chants for Thomas broke out.
Thomas’ streak began Sunday against the Washington Mystics when she had 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. “The Engine” kept on chugging Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun when she filled up the stat sheet with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
Thomas’ history-making encore on Thursday was her best scoring night of the run of triple-doubles. She dropped 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in career triple-double No. 19.
Her teammate, key rookie Kathryn Westbeld, spoke to The Next about Thomas making history and her impact on the team.
“They don’t call her ‘The Engine’ for no reason,” Westbeld said. “She really is what gets our team going. She’s such an incredible leader. I don’t think I’ve ever played with someone who leads the way that she does. She’s so consistent every night and she is not going to ask anything of you that she is not going to do herself. Like she’s running through that brick wall first and she expects you to be right behind her.”
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If she was not already in the MVP conversation before Thursday’s game, Thomas certainly solidified her spot with her performance against the Fever.
Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts made the case for Thomas.
“To win the MVP, you’ve got to be one of the better teams in this league,” Tibbetts said. “I think we’ve proven that. … AT is not going to talk about herself in that conversation, but she just brings so much to our group each and every night, and I’m just really happy for her with the performance that she had tonight.”
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