Alyssa Thomas has been around the WNBA long enough to know that one loss doesn't define a season. Even after Phoenix fell to the Los Angeles Sparks twice earlier in the summer, Thomas wasn't interested in dwelling on what went wrong. Instead, her focus remained on the bigger picture as the Mercury approached the Sparks for the third time Wednesday afternoon.
“We've been in a lot of games that have been close,” Thomas said. “They haven't gone our way, but when you think about playoff basketball, that's what pretty much every game is like.”
After helping lead Phoenix to the WNBA Finals last season, Thomas admitted this year has looked different. The Mercury have spent much of the season trying to climb back into the postseason picture, something she isn't used to.
“I'm definitely not used to being at the bottom,” Thomas said. “I'm accustomed to a different standard.”
Even so, she believes the Mercury have been closer than their record might suggest.
“Our record could look a lot different if we won a couple of those games,” she said. “There's still a lot of basketball to play, and we've still got to make this kind of push.”
Thomas backed up that message with one of her best performances of the season, finishing with a triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists. It was another reminder of the all-around impact she continues to have, even as the Mercury work to climb back into the playoff picture.
Rather than looking at the standings, Thomas said the team's focus has been on the details that can help turn close losses into wins.
“I think we all had to look in the mirror,” she said. “Nobody wants to be at the bottom or losing, especially coming off a finals run. The biggest thing is just staying the course, continuing to put in the work and making this hard push.”
Now in her 13th WNBA season, Thomas said experience has also changed the way she sees the game.
“As I've grown as a player, my passing and reading the game has evolved,” she said. “The longer you play, the slower the game becomes for you.”
That ability to read the floor has become one of Thomas' biggest strengths throughout her career, helping her impact games in ways that don't always show up in the scoring column.
Thomas also reflected on how much the league has changed since she entered the WNBA. While the game has grown in popularity, one improvement immediately came to mind.
“The charter flights,” she said with a laugh. “I played in Connecticut for 11 years, so flying commercial from there was definitely tough. I don't think people realize how big of a difference charter flights have made.”
For Thomas, though, the message hasn't changed. Whether it's navigating a difficult season, helping a new group come together or continuing to evolve her own game, she believes the only way forward is to keep working.
“We've still got an opportunity,” Thomas said. “It's going to come down to doing the little things.”