Alyssa Thomas Breaks All-Time Caitlin Clark WNBA Record But Without Much Fanfare

When Mercury GM Nick U’Ren fixed his eyes on Alyssa Thomas, he handed her a challenge. “You have a contagious competitiveness that the rest of our group will follow. You will set a standard,” he told her. His words carried the weight of both belief and demand. Six months later, she’s making the Sun regret. A year ago, Thomas had led them to third from the top in the standings. Now, Connecticut has slipped to third from the bottom. While in Phoenix, she’s reminding everyone why she belongs in the MVP conversation. The season began with all eyes on Caitlin Clark, but as injuries dimmed her spotlight, the MVP race reshuffled. It’s now A’ja Wilson vs Napheesa Collier, but quietly, Thomas has built a résumé you cannot overlook.

On August 27, she recorded her seventh triple-double of the season (12 points, 16 rebounds, 15 assists) in a Mercury win over the Sparks. That was career triple-double No. 18, and a league record she continues to fatten. It leaves Sabrina Ionescu a distant second with fourteen fewer. Speaking of historic margins, Thomas is averaging 9.2 assists per game this season, well clear of Courtney Williams in second at 6.3.

Just last year, Alyssa Thomas was second in assists (7.9) behind, you guessed it, Caitlin Clark (8.4). That leaderboard looks different now. Injuries have sidelined Clark, and Thomas has seized the moment while becoming the first player in WNBA history with three separate 300+ assist seasons (2023, 2024, 2025). Careful there, those weren’t empty assists either. Alyssa Thomas just surpassed Caitlin Clark for the most points assisted in WNBA history. The landscape looks somewhat like:

1. Alyssa Thomas: 752
2. Caitlin Clark: 751
3. Courtney Vandersloot: 749

In that list sits the fulfillment of Nick U’Ren’s words. Yet, for all the milestones, the applause feels muted. Have a look-

Fans Split on Alyssa Thomas vs. Caitlin Clark

The chatter picked up steam under a nod from the Mercury’s official X account. They dropped a graphic comparing Alyssa Thomas to Caitlin Clark and Courtney Vandersloot, dubbing it: “The game’s greatest playmaker. No one in WNBA history has created more buckets in a single season than AT. 👀” For Phoenix, it was a celebration of their veteran star. For some fans, though? An embarrassment. One reply summed it up: “The admin can’t be serious. Pan out and see the big picture. You’re actually embarrassing Thomas.” But how does a celebration get spun into embarrassment? The replies made it clear, and they were laced with sarcasm.

“That awesome she broke a Rookies record in her 11th year! That’s some lasting talent.”
“That’s really cute. She passed the greatest playmaker in WNBA history’s ROOKIE season. Nice shout out there!”

Yep, Fever fans and Caitlin Clark loyalists were quick to push back. The argument lies in the context here. Alyssa Thomas may have just set the mark, but she’s an 11-year veteran. Clark, on the other hand, was a rookie when she did it. And not just any rookie – one who was thrown into the fire like no other. As one fan wrote: “That’s amazing how good Clark’s rookie year was!!! Especially considering half the teams don’t even guard AT at the key. 🤯😂😂” And another added: “2nd on the list was a rookie who spends 1/3rd of the season adjusting to the league.”

Even Clark herself once spoke to the unique physicality she faced. “I think everybody is physical with me. They get away with things that probably other people don’t get away with,” she said during her rookie year. That theme hasn’t gone anywhere. Just ask Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, who openly admitted the game plan against Clark was physicality: “We were being disruptive, we know she doesn’t like physicality.” It worked; they held Caitlin Clark to just 11 points in an 88-77 Golden State win.

But that same approach has also left its mark. It has led to the injuries that have sidelined her for more games than she’s played this year. And yes, fans noticed the timing. One jab read: “Ahhh that’s sweet, she takes number one spot while Clark’s out injured!!” Fair point, Caitlin Clark’s absence has changed the math. Maybe even favorably, because with her sidelined, Indiana’s turnovers have even dipped noticeably.

Hence, enter Thomas stans, who were quick to acknowledge her milestone by poking fun at Clark’s giveaways: “Without the 700 turnovers.” Sure, it is an exaggerated figure, but Caitlin Clark does hold the WNBA record for most turnovers in a rookie season (223). This year, she’s still Indiana’s giveaway leader at 5.1 per game. The next closest Fever player, Natasha Howard, has just 2.0. Caitlin Clark alone accounts for nearly 35% of the team’s 14.3 turnovers per game.

Moreover, her assist-to-turnover ratio is a modest 1.74, not even in the league’s top 40. (For comparison, Moriah Jefferson leads at 4.50, with Tyasha Harris, Kiana Williams, Lexie Brown, and Julie Allemand rounding out the top five.) Thomas, meanwhile, sits with just 114 turnovers this season, which is a stat that underlines her efficiency in handling the ball. Some people pointed out just how remarkable Thomas’s feat is, considering her position:

“When you figure out that AT is a big doing this, it makes it even more impressive. CC is a PG, it should be expected.”
“AT, much like Jokic, is showing these so-called PGs that they need to level up.”
“Uhh…AT isn’t a point guard. She’s a power forward. And she has not played this ‘point forward’ position for her whole career at all. 🤦🏾‍♀️😭”
“CC fans cheering on her second place while simultaneously forgetting AT is not a guard.”

And that’s the real nuance here. A point guard like Clark is expected to quarterback the floor by directing offense, reading defenses, setting tempo, and making creative passes. A power forward like Thomas, meanwhile, is traditionally asked to bang in the paint by rebounding, defending, and scoring with her back to the basket. The fact that Thomas is also leading as a playmaker blurs those lines completely.

And speaking of her natural PF duties, she’s thriving there too. Alyssa Thomas currently ranks third in the league in rebounds per game, right behind Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson. So whether you see it as an 11-year vet overshadowing a rookie record, or as a power forward doing the unthinkable in a guard’s world, that’s up to you. Let us know your verdict in the comment section below!