WNBA Power Rankings: Alyssa Thomas leads Mercury into top spot; Lynx stumble for the first time all season

The Mercury entered this week having lost back-to-back games for the first time all season. After a stellar start to their experiment in the desert, a tiny bit of doubt about its long-term feasibility had started to creep in, especially after a surprise defeat to the lowly Dallas Wings.  

Alyssa Thomas quickly assuaged those fears. 

In a 30-point win in a rematch against the Wings, Thomas put up 15 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists for her first triple-double of the season and 12th of her career, extending her all-time record. A few days later, Thomas went off for a career-high 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a victory over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. 

Thomas’ excellent week continued yet another MVP-caliber season for one of the league’s most unique players. She’s now averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, a career-high and league-leading 9.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game on a career-high 53.8% from the field. Aside from tweaking her calf, which caused her to miss a few weeks early on, Thomas has not put a foot wrong this season. 

Among all players, Thomas is 19th in scoring, 11th in rebounding, first in assists, ninth in steals and sixth in win shares. It should come as no surprise that no one in league history has ever put up a 15/7/9 season, which she is on pace to do. 

The Mercury are 12-3 this season when Thomas plays and 2-3 without her. In 460 minutes with on the court, they have a plus-13 net rating, and in 340 minutes without her they have a minus-2.0 net rating. All told, the Mercury are 14-6, good for second place, and well on their way to earning homecourt advantage in the playoffs. 

Napheesa Collier has established herself as the clear favorite for MVP thus far, but if Thomas and the Mercury keep playing like this, an actual race may develop for the league’s top honor. 

Here are CBS Sports’ latest WNBA Power Rankings: