On Saturday, the Phoenix Mercury suffered a disappointing loss to the Connecticut Sun, which impacted their chances of moving up the WNBA standings at the tail end of a very competitive season.
But, there was still cause for celebration, as All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas broke Caitlin Clark’s record for most assists in a season. After her 14-point, 10-assist double-double, she now has 342 assists in 2025, surpassing Clark’s record of 337, set last season.
Sep 2, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) reacts after scoring against the Indiana Fever in the second half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Though compiling counting stats is easier now that the league has expanded its season to 44 games, the most in its history,
Thomas, who is averaging 9.2 assists per game, accomplished the feat in just 37 games (she has missed five due to injury this season), three fewer than the 40 games Clark needed to reach 337. Nobody with a top-five total assists season has done it in fewer games.
Sep 2, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scores against the Indiana Fever in the first half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Astonishingly, Thomas has three of the seasons in the top five, with 316 (40 games) in 2023, and 317 (40 games) in 2024. She has, essentially, broken the all-time single-season assists record in three consecutive seasons, although in 2023 and 2024, she wasn’t alone in breaking the previous record.
Courtney Vandersloot joined her in doing so in 2023, though she had two fewer assists than Thomas did, making AT the record holder at season’s end. In 2024, Thomas and Clark both broke that mark, but the Indiana Fever star did so by a bigger margin, making her the record holder going into this season.
Sep 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) dribbles the ball against the Washington Mystics during the second quarter at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Thomas is about to wrap up an absolutely historic season, and perhaps the finest one of her storied career. She’s averaging a career high in points per game, she’s tied for her second-most rebounds per game in a season, and she’s assisting at the highest rate of her career (her previous high was 7.9 a night in 2024). It’s not often that players have their most productive seasons at age 33, but Thomas, who has already been an MVP runner-up, is having a career year and has planted herself firmly in the MVP discussion.
It remains to be seen if the Mercury’s place in the standings (fourth as of this writing) will hold her back and lead voters to choose The Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson or the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier over her, but she’s proven that she’s as deserving as anyone, and one of the most unique viewing experiences in the league today.