Alyssa Thomas Sets New Career High in Loss

Alyssa Thomas set a new career high in scoring for the second time this season, but the Mercury were unable to pull out the road win against the Fever.

Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) recovers the ball against Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last night, the Phoenix Mercury fell to the Indiana Fever, 107-101, their fourth loss in their last five games, after they gave up more points and free throws than in any other game this season.

A Phoenix offense that was at times plagued by rampant turnovers did show some signs of its peak form, however, and nowhere was that more evident than in Alyssa Thomas's performance as a scorer, which saw her set a new career high, with 32 points.

She scored those 32 points in a way that showcased her full repertoire, crashing the offensive glass for putbacks, lowering her shoulder into defenders and powering her way to the hoop, spinning in the paint for one-handed push shots, and stepping into midrange jumpers when defenders sag too far off of her.

Thomas finished the game 14-for-22 from the field, good for a very efficient 63.6% shooting. It marked the second time this season that she has set a new career high in scoring, with the previous instance coming when she scored 29 points on 14-for-24 shooting in an impressive win over the WNBA-best Minnesota Lynx.

Indiana Fever forward Natasha Howard (6) goes in for a rebound Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 107-101. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last night's accomplishment, though, was bittersweet, coming in a disappointing and frustrating loss to a team playing without a key starter, and coming during a bit of a rough patch for the Mercury, who have been uneven at times since reintegrating several players coming off of injury-related absences.

Despite scoring 101 points and shooting just under 50% from the field as a team, there were stretches where the team looked disjointed and miscommunications led to unforced errors, misplaced passes, and rushed possessions. They also struggled to generate the clean looks from three they've become accustomed to this year.

Even Thomas herself made some uncharacteristic errors, turning the ball over six times in the first half, and eight times total in the game. It's unusual to see the league's assists leader, a player with a 2.76 assist-to-turnover ratio, finish a game with more turnovers than assists (seven).

Still, her scoring was much needed in a game where the Mercury couldn't consistently get stops and she nearly led the team back from a double-digit deficit late, before the Fever finally put the game away. The scoring performance is still an impressive feat for one of the league's best players and is yet another of a long list of accolades she's earned this season.

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