Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Assist Race With Alyssa Thomas Comes Down to Final Night
The final day of the WNBA regular season has arrived. And Thursday is shaping up to be a delight for women's basketball fans, since there is still so much to be settled when it comes to playoff seeding implications.
It isn't just team standings that are at stake on Thursday. Players get a final opportunity to make their case for individual awards (which only account for the regular season), and the league leaders in every category will be finalized.
The most fascinating individual statistic to follow on Thursday will be assists per game. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas are both currently averaging 8.5 assists per game, which is tied for the league lead.
Both the Fever and the Mercury play on Thursday night, so whoever between Clark and Thomas finishes with more assists will win the WNBA assist crown for the 2026 season.
Caitlin Clark and Alyssa Thomas' History Makes This Assist Showdown Fascinating
This race for the WNBA assist crown is not the first time Clark and Thomas have been connected this season.
Thomas received a one-game suspension and was fined $1,000 for putting her closed fist on Clark's throat after the two were battling for a loose ball during a June 24 game between the Fever and the Mercury.
Thomas called the incident a complete accident. But the optics looked objectively bad, and it was a major talking point in the women's basketball community at that time.
This incident took place exactly three months ago, but it feels like much longer, given everything that has happened since it occurred.
Thomas and Clark's assist race has nothing to do with this incident. But their controversial history this season makes them battling for the assist crown even more compelling.
Will Caitlin Clark Get Enough Minutes to Win the Assist Crown?
Another potential storyline is whether Clark will receive enough minutes against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday to set an impressive assist total.
The Lynx have already secured the No. 1 seed, and therefore are expected to rest their starters for much of the game. The Fever still need to win to secure the No. 5 seed, but if they're already dominating the Lynx by halftime, Indiana head coach Stephanie White might rest her own starters—which would limit Clark's potential for assists.
The Mercury game starts two hours after the Fever game. Therefore, Thomas (who doesn't have anything to play for and likely won't be under any minutes restriction) would presumably know how many assists she needs to beat Clark's total by the time her game against the Aces begins.
Not that she'll be checking. Then again, one could see Thomas doing everything she can to beat Clark's assist total, even if she wouldn't admit it.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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