Alyssa Thomas continues to triple-double her way into the WNBA record books.
Coming off the first 20-20-10 triple-double in league history, the Connecticut Sun star forward leads her team into a Friday night contest with the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.
Thomas collected 21 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists in a 79-69 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday in Uncasville, Conn. It was her second straight triple-double and the ninth of her career, which is a league record.
“A lot of credit goes to my teammates,” Thomas said. “I say this every time but without them making the shots, I really can’t get triple-doubles. Last game I missed a lot of shots. Today, I really focused on getting to the hoop and finishing through contact.
For the season, Thomas is averaging 14.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Thomas, who leads the league in rebounds and assists, has fueled Connecticut (19-7) to the league’s third-best record despite the loss of Brionna Jones in June with a season-ending Achilles injury.
Meanwhile, Indiana (7-19) is coming off just its second win in 14 games.
The Fever recorded a 72-71 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night following a layup by Emma Cannon with a minute left. That capped a career-high 23-point performance for Cannon, who entered the game scoring 5.2 points per game.
“She’s a pro’s pro and she’s ready whenever her number is called,” Indiana coach Christie Sides said. “We’ve got several that are down right now … just challenged (Cannon) to be the next woman up and she stepped up big-time.”
The Fever are playing without second-leading scorer NaLyssa Smith (foot), which has cut down on their offensive ability. But they were able to compensate against Phoenix by using the foul line. Kelsey Mitchell hit 10 of 11 at the stripe on her way to 21 points, allowing them to earn a six-point advantage at the line.
Connecticut has won both games in the season series, including a 70-61 decision in the season opener on May 19 in Indianapolis.
–Field Level Media