Alyssa Thomas records 20th career regular-season triple-double as Mercury edge Sparks

Alyssa Thomas added another historic chapter to her WNBA career on Wednesday, recording her 20th regular-season triple-double to lead the Phoenix Mercury to an 86-82 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.

Thomas finished with 19 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds — her 20th triple-double in the regular season and 26th overall counting her six postseason triple-doubles. The veteran forward orchestrated the Mercury offense masterfully, assisting on seven of Phoenix's last eight baskets. Her final assist, a pass to Monique Akoa Makani with 14 seconds remaining, sealed the win.

Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 21 points, while Akoa Makani added 14 points and Natasha Mack contributed 10 off the bench. The Mercury (10-18) shot 12-of-18 from the floor with 10 assists in the fourth quarter alone, snapping a six-game losing streak with back-to-back wins.

Rae Burrell paced the Sparks with 20 points. Dearica Hamby recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds but missed a tying layup with 19 seconds left. Ariel Atkins added 15 points in the losing effort.

Nneka Ogwumike provided a milestone moment despite the loss, finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season. Her ninth rebound of the game moved her past Candace Parker (2,902) into second place on the Sparks' all-time rebounding list, trailing only Lisa Leslie.

The Sparks (10-16) head into the All-Star break on a five-game losing streak, while the Mercury look to build momentum when they host the Golden State Valkyries on July 29.

Sources

• https://apnews.com/article/mercury-sparks-score-779ebb9b39468567f8d4f32dc8c76a47