Last night was a good one for the Phoenix Mercury. Starting with their warm welcome to Sophie Cunningham upon her return, the fans came out in numbers as the fifth-ranked Indiana Fever faced off against the Phoenix, who sit above them.
The Phoenix secured a commanding win, thanks to the heroics of MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas. The forward recorded her 3rd straight triple-double, breaking the WNBA record for most consecutive triple-doubles.
However, as the fans in Phoenix serenaded Thomas with MVP chants upon her exit from the game, the moment was marred by the league’s “obsession” with Caitlin Clark.
What Did the Phoenix Mercury Announcer Say?
Thomas finished the game with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, dismantling the Fever defense. The six-time All-Star has dismantled defenses across the WNBA this season, once again making a strong case for the Most Valuable Player award.
As Thomas took a seat with 3:01 left in the fourth and a whopping 32-point lead, the Phoenix announcer ruined the moment by making a forced comparison to Clark.
CC obsession @commentators @mercury is wild! just let AT shine please
— luna (@BRUNABerolui) August 8, 2025
A fan rightly singled out the piece of commentary and expressed their disappointment with the “CC obsession.” While the announcer did highlight Thomas’ historic achievement, her mention of Clark, who did not even participate in the game, felt out of place to the fans.
AT gets a Triple Double and the Mercury commentators go
“Caitlin Clark’s gotta even tip her cap to Alyssa Thomas”
Like what??? This is weird atp😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/sYH9Ty5En8
— AK (@Sudharsan_AK10) August 8, 2025
This marked the 9th straight game Clark has missed due to her groin injury, who must’ve been itching to be out on the floor last night. Coming into the game on a 5-1 run, the Fever came out fighting. After a closely contested first half, Phoenix left Indiana in the dust as they rushed out on a 14-0 run in the third quarter. The game ended in a 90-65 blowout as the Phoenix secured a dominant win, further strengthening Thomas’ MVP case.
VERY weird like AT isn’t in the MVP conversation year after year 🤷🏾♂️
— Dream Sinatra (@DreamSinatra) August 8, 2025
A fan pointed out how the Phoenix star isn’t in the conversation year after year. While that might’ve been true before her Achilles injury, Thomas has been performing at a high level since her return, solidifying her spot as a regular in the MVP conversation.
How has Thomas fared since her Achilles tear?
Thomas, who tore her Achilles tendon in 2021, returned right before the end of the regular season. The forward’s first full season after the injury came in 2022, when she announced her comeback by securing a spot on the All-WNBA second team.
The Phoenix star has since continued on that trajectory, slowly becoming one of the league’s brightest. In 2023, Thomas finished 2nd in MVP voting, remarkably receiving the most first-place votes. Playing for the Connecticut Sun at the time, she set a new single-season WNBA record for assists (316) and double-doubles (28). Thomas also led the league in rebounds per game (9.9) and was named to the All-WNBA First Team.
SO WEIRD! Alyssa Thomas’ 12th WNBA season.
— LegacyLeadership (@LegacyLeaders11) August 8, 2025
The 2024 season had similar tones with Thomas again securing a top-five finish. However, this year’s ambition must be to take home the top prize as Thomas continues her fine run of form. And while the injury to Napheesa Collier is undoubtedly a disappointment, it opens the race up for Thomas, who has taken to the opportunity well.
