If the last 2 games made one thing clear, Alyssa Thomas\u2019 physicality isn\u2019t going to work in the Finals. Even her own team\u2019s head coach realizes that.<\/p>\n
\u201cFortunately for us, it\u2019s best to seven\u2026 We\u2019re going home, we have two home-court advantage games, and we have to be better,\u201d said Alyssa Thomas after her team\u2019s 2nd consecutive loss. The Phoenix Mercury\u2019s attempt to turn things around in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals ended badly as the team lost by a larger gap (91-78) than in Game 1, allowed defensive breakdowns, and brought the Aces closer to their 3rd WNBA championship. While the Mercury squad has home-court advantage for the next 2 games, that might not be enough. Therefore, a reporter is asking one particular player to step up in such a situation.<\/p>\n
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\u2018Vibe Check\u2019 host Hannah Storm recently sat across from Courtney Cronin for a discussion on the Aces-Mercury Game 2. During the same time, Cronin asked, \u201cCan someone other than Kahleeah Cooper stand up? Can it be Alyssa Thomas? She (was) the triple-double machine in the regular season. Misses both of the free throws in game one, a chance to take the lead of that game. 10, 6, and 5 last night. Not the worst stat line, but you\u2019re supposed to be the leader on this team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alyssa Thomas kicked off the postseason in a major way, averaging 16.3 points in the first round of the playoffs and 20.3 in the Semi-Finals. Now, over the last 2 games, she has managed to average only 12.5 points per game. While her shooting percentages have increased, her number of attempts has gone down from 16.3 and 17 field goals to 9.5.<\/p>\n
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One thing that Alyssa Thomas is known for is her physical plays. Her own fianc\u00e9e and teammate DeWanna Bonner once said, \u201cShe wants to win. She wants to win the championship bad. She\u2019ll do whatever it takes\u201d. Becky Hammon revealed knowing about the physicality, too. Perhaps this is why she might have drawn plays specifically against the star. As a result, Thomas was limited to just 10 points, along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists, in Game 2. As a result, she shot only 5-9 (55.6%) field goals, 0-0 (0%) 3-pointers, and 0-0 (0%) free throws. A major drop from her performance in the previous games this postseason.<\/p>\n
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\u201cRight now, the detractors who say the moment\u2019s too big for Alyssa Thomas, they\u2019re right\u201d Cronin added. \u201cRight now, she needs to step up. This is her team. She\u2019s got to get them back in it on Wednesday\u201d.<\/p>\n
The loss in the 2022 WNBA Finals continued to haunt Thomas for a while. That is why, when she recently recalled that series, she said<\/a>, \u201cI\u2019ve been saying it since training camp. For me, it was a Finals year. It\u2019s disappointing to get to the Finals and lose. It\u2019s even extremely harder to get back to the Finals\u201d. In light of this, the player needs to make this big moment count in her favor now.<\/p>\n If the last 2 games made one thing clear, Alyssa Thomas\u2019 physicality isn\u2019t going to work in the Finals. Even her own team\u2019s head coach realizes that.<\/p>\n
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