PHOENIX — Alyssa Thomas’s return to the Phoenix Mercury spoiled Dallas Wings rookie phenom Paige Bueckers’s best game of her WNBA career.
The latter posted 35 points and put the Wings on her back. However, the Mercury picked up their seventh win of the season. On the night, Thomas posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.
In the five games she was absent with a calf injury, she was making her presence felt on the bench. Calling plays and telling the team what offensive or defensive sequence is happening were only some of those specifics.
That double-double proved that she didn’t lose a step. Thomas picked up where she left off. When asked about what she saw differently as a spectator versus a player, nothing much changed.
“I’d say it’s still the same,” Thomas said. “Of course, our style changed a little bit. People had to move around. But just excited to be back out there and get my teammates easy shots.”
Speaking of getting teammates easy shots, plenty of Mercury players were comfortable with Thomas back on the floor. One of those was Kitija Laksa.
The two established a lethal connection in the first five games. Safe to say that the flame hasn’t cooled. When it comes to that topic, it had head coach Nate Tibbetts intrigued.
He gave a thorough explanation of how Thomas’s 18 assists on three-pointers in her last two games are indicative of who she is as a player.
“Well, I would love to take credit for that,” Tibbetts chuckled. “But I think it’s her, right? She creates the advantage, and we chart a lot of different stuff. You look at a lot of numbers. We talk about painted grade 3s, and through our first 10 games… she was our team leader with 21.
“It just kind of tells you who she is and how she wants to play. I think because teams have to decide on the shooting that we have around here.”
How did Alyssa Thomas, Nate Tibbetts view Paige Bueckers vs. Mercury?
Even though it was a win for the Mercury, at some points, it felt like a loss. Bueckers diced the Mercury up with 25 first-half points. Still, she finished with 35, but the second half showed a more concerted effort from the Phoenix defense.
The team picked Bueckers up full court and were stuck to her at every turn. They wanted anyone else to beat them not named Bueckers.
In professional basketball, if you’re a rookie, respect isn’t given, it’s earned. For Bueckers, she’s earned Thomas’s respect.
Alyssa Thomas shared her impressions to @jeffmetcalfe about Paige Bueckers’s first game in Phoenix.
“Paige is a hooper… she just controls the game so well. The sky’s the limit for her.” pic.twitter.com/qX7wT663MJ
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) June 12, 2025
“I mean, Paige is a hooper,” Thomas explained. “We’ve seen her do it at UConn for so long. She’s been coming to the Connecticut (Sun) games for a minute, too.
“(She’s) just very calm out there. She just controls the game so well. The sky’s the limit for her.”
It’s a one-game sample size, but with adequate rest and preparation, it’s clear why Bueckers was the No. 1 pick. She previously broke the rookie single-game scoring record by the Mercury’s Lexi Held.
Similarly to Thomas, Tibbetts expressed more of the same appreciation for Bueckers’ performance. While the Wings star missed a handful of games with a concussion and an illness, the head coach thinks that played a part in her success.
“The college season, they get three weeks off and they’re thrown into the fire. I know Paige has been out with a concussion and then the sickness, but it’s probably the best her body has felt in months, so she looked refreshed,” Tibbetts said.
“I thought we did a good job on Arike (Ogunbowale). Those are the two that are going to look to score. They’re the ones that make that team go. I thought Paige had a really good night. I thought we competed with her. We competed all night against her. She’s going to be a really good player in our league.”
The Mercury will have more rest to prepare for the Las Vegas Aces on the road on Sunday. Thomas only played 23 minutes, but expect her workload to increase in the coming games.
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