“She’s a different animal!” That’s what Becky Hammon had to say about Alyssa Thomas, a compliment, sure, but some heard a subtle jab when she added that AT could even play “professional football.” Love it or hate it, one thing is clear, though: this kind of playstyle isn’t going to fly in the Finals, and it could cost Phoenix dearly. Still, Nate Tibbetts isn’t pointing fingers at his star player for where things went wrong in the first two games. 

In the aftermath of Game 3, Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts addressed the officiating concerns surrounding Alyssa Thomas in a post-game press conference. Thomas has continued her aggressive, physical style throughout the Finals, but Las Vegas’ tough defense has limited her usual impact.

When asked whether he ever considers “holding back” Thomas, Tibbetts was clear. 

“There is no holding back AT (Thomas),” he said. “She is who she is. That’s why we love her. That’s why she’s the player that she is. The thing that I just get disappointed in is hearing our officials say that she’s hard to officiate because she plays so physical. AT is going to be AT. We want her to be AT because she’s a hell of a player. We want her playing with that downhill force.”

In Game 2, Thomas’ physicality drew scrutiny from officials, resulting in four personal fouls and limiting her to just 30 minutes on the court. Now, given the way officiating has been, his comments could have come across as a classic coach complaining and defending his star players. But it didn’t since that wasn’t Tibbetts’ tone in the last series. In fact, just the opposite.

As Jackie Powell of “The IX Sports” pointed out, “So obviously that was a very different type of reaction to in the Mercury-Lynx series when there was there were some questions about officiating.” During that semifinal series, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve’s meltdown, suspension, and fine highlighted the tension between coaches and officials, a stance supported by coaches like Becky Hammon and Stephanie White.

Tibbetts, in contrast, dismissed officiating concerns, saying, “We haven’t talked about the officiating all playoffs. We just play and worry about us”. Analysts Powell and Alissa Hirsh both agreed that they get it that, at a certain point, you want to talk about. But Powell added, “Although, you know, if you take a look at the personal fouls discrepancy, it’s not that uneven. If anything, the Mercury shot more free throws.” 

For example, in Game 3 of the semis, the Lynx went to the line 11 times compared to Phoenix’s 22, and in Game 4, it was 9 to 23. Even in the Finals, the disparity hasn’t been drastic, though Tibbetts’ comments likely refer to how officiating has affected Alyssa Thomas, especially given the drop in her recent performance. 

Thomas kicked off the postseason in dominant fashion, averaging 16.3 points in the first round and 20.3 in the semifinals. But over the last two Finals games, she’s averaged just 12.5 points per game, in part because the Aces know her game and are now focused defensively on her. After Hammon highlighted Thomas’ physicality pre-game, Las Vegas limited her to just 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in Game 2. She shot 5-of-9 from the field (55.6%) with no three-pointers or free throws.

We’ll see if she can bounce back at home in Game 3, but even a subdued performance can’t erase the mark she’s already made in postseason history.

Alyssa Thomas breaks playoff records despite Mercury’s 0-2 hole

Phoenix Mercury may be down 0-2 in the Finals, but there was a silver lining in Sunday’s loss- Alyssa Thomas continued to make history. The Mercury’s struggles with three-point shooting, a quiet bench, and their Big 3 not showing up have left them digging a hole. Still, Thomas’ performance offered fans something to celebrate.

In Game 2, Thomas set two impressive postseason records. First, she became the all-time postseason assists leader, surpassing Courtney Vandersloot. Vandersloot had 390 assists over 61 playoff games, but Thomas reached the milestone in just 56 games. Her fifth assist in the game put her at 391, placing her atop the leaderboard. The rest of the top five are Chelsea Gray with 380, Sue Bird with 364, and Lindsay Whalen with 340.

Thomas also moved into sixth place on the all-time postseason field goals made list, finishing Game 2 with five of nine from the floor. She now has 367 field goals, edging past Seimone Augustus, who sits in seventh with 362. 

But these aren’t the first records Thomas has broken this season. She has had a phenomenal season. Still, Mercury’s losses cast a shadow over even these milestones. If she doesn’t step up on the biggest stage, all fans may remember will be missed opportunities, like crucial free throws in Game 1, or moments when Thomas wasn’t able to carry the team through tough stretches.