Alyssa Thomas made incredible WNBA playoff history in Game 3 of the Phoenix Mercury's first-round series against the New York Liberty on Friday night.
Phoenix lost Game 1 76-69 in overtime before bouncing back with an 86-60 blowout win in Game 2 on the road. With the series being a best-of-three, the Game 3 winner would advance to the next round. Not only that but beating the Liberty would mean that there will be a new WNBA champion for the 2025 season.
Thomas understood the stakes as she delivered a huge performance in front of her home crowd. She finished with a stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and one block. She shot 7-of-18 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. As a result, her triple-double efforts made playoff history, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou.
“Alyssa Thomas has a 19-point triple-double. That’s the most points for a triple-double in WNBA playoff history,” Philippou wrote.
How Alyssa Thomas, Mercury played against Liberty
Alyssa Thomas' incredible display helped the Mercury pull off a difficult feat, dethroning the Liberty with a 79-73 win to clinch the first-round series.
It was a back-and-forth affair between the two squads, as neither wanted to lose control in the series decider. Breanna Stewart kept New York in the game for as long as she could, having 30 points and nine rebounds throughout the night. However, it wasn't enough as Phoenix made enough plays down the stretch to fend off the Liberty.
Perimeter shooting and rebounding made a huge difference in this matchup. The Mercury knocked down nine 3-pointers on an accuracy of 37.5% while crashing the glass for 49 rebounds. It wasn't the same case for the Liberty, only converting seven triples at a 21.9% clip while securing 33 rebounds.
Four players scored in double-digits on Phoenix's behalf, including Thomas. Satou Sabally lit up the nets with 23 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. She shot 6-of-14 overall, including 4-of-9 from downtown, and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. Sami Whitcomb came next with 14 points and a steal, while Kahleah Copper provided 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Mercury will await their next series matchup on the left side of the playoff bracket. They will face the 1-seed Minnesota Lynx as Game 1 will take place on Sept. 21.
