Connecticut Solar ahead Alyssa Thomas will not be going to win the MVP award this season, however historic performances just like the one she placed on on Tuesday evening in a 90-76 win over the Los Angeles Sparks are why she belongs within the dialog. She was, merely put, unstoppable.
Thomas completed with 27 factors, 12 rebounds, 14 assists and 6 steals on 11-of-14 from the sphere to document her sixth triple-double of the season and prolong her WNBA information in that division. She has each the single-season document and the all-time mark with eight. To place that in perspective, it took till 2017 — 21 seasons — for the sixth triple-double in league historical past to occur; Thomas has six triple-doubles in 38 video games this season.
As well as, in one more reminder of her distinctive versatility, Thomas grew to become the primary participant ever to have at the least 25 factors, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals in a sport. Nobody else had even performed it with 20 factors. To do this as a ahead who would not shoot outdoors of the paint is just outstanding.
If all of that wasn’t sufficient, Thomas additionally surpassed Courtney Vandersloot for the all-time single-season whole assists document. After Tuesday’s sport, Thomas now has 304 assists, simply forward of Vandersloot’s 300 in 2019. It is price noting that Vandersloot did that in 33 video games, whereas it is taken Thomas 38, however it’s nonetheless a powerful accomplishment.
From a seeding perspective this sport did not imply something for the Solar, who have been already locked into the No. 3 seed. However it will likely be good for his or her confidence after they have been crushed by the Liberty their final outing. They have not been at their finest in current weeks, however have an opportunity to construct up some actual momentum heading into the playoffs with a comfortable schedule this week.
For the season, Thomas is now averaging 15.9 factors, 9.9 rebounds, eight assists and 1.9 steals per sport — numbers which are good for first in rebounding, second in assists and third in steals. It shouldn’t be a shock that nobody has ever had such a season earlier than. There is a good probability nobody ever will once more.