Mercury Star Thomas Plays Key Role in Caitlin Clark All Star Loss

Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas played a key role at the WNBA All-Star game as Team Collier defeated Caitlin Clark and her team of stars.

Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) knocks the ball away from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the second half of an WNBA basketball game, Monday, May 20, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. / Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Team Collier defeated Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday night by a final score of 151-131. The centerpiece of All-Star Weekend was capped off by several record-breaking performances.

The ongoing labor disputes surrounding the new collective bargaining agreement (the current one is set to expire on October 31st) were not forgotten during the weekend's festivities, as the WNBAPA made a strong statement to open the game. Players on both teams wore shirts that read "Pay Us What You Owe Us," a nod to the set of demands the players union has made of the league during the negotiations. Several of the All-Star game participants are part of the union's leadership group and many are unhappy with the current state of the negotiations.

As for the game itself, it had a bit of novelty, with some new rules introduced for this year's game. There were two spots on each end of the court where players could take four-pointers, which many players did, with great enthusiasm (the first basket of the game was a four-ball from Paige Bueckers and by the early fourth quarter, 15 of them had been made over the course of the game).

It's typical of All-Star games to start out incredibly casual, then turn competitive later in the game, and that held true here, although Team Collier had built too big of a lead by then for things to really intensify. They scored points in bunches from the start, putting up 49 in the first quarter, and were a +16 on four-pointers heading into halftime. Having shots worth an extra point contributed to the lopsided scoreline and at one point Collier's squad led 72-46. The deficit would stand at 119-95 heading into the fourth, too late for increased effort on Team Clark's part to make much of an impact.

Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas was on the winning side and chipped in six points, four rebounds, and four assists. Still, this type of game -- low-intensity, defense-optional -- isn't an excellent showcase for her game, aside from her passing. The two teams attempted a combined 120 shots from beyond the arc, and Thomas has attempted just two all season (four players took 10 or more by themselves in this game alone).

Minnesota's Napheesa Collier, the current MVP favorite, set a new WNBA All-Star Game record with 36 points (on just 16 field goal attempts), while former Mercury guard (and current Seattle Storm player) Skylar Diggins recorded the first triple-double in the game's history and set an All-Star Game assists record with 15.

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