Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
Thomas earned the honor for the third time this season and the ninth time in her 10-year professional career. She averaged a triple-double with 16 points, 13.5 rebounds and 10 assists per game to lead the Sun to two wins over the past week as she continues to make a strong case for league MVP honors.
The 6-foot-2 forward has been on a tear this year, but she took things to a whole different level in a 89-79 victory for Connecticut over the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 1, recording 21 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals. In doing so, she became the first player in WNBA history to record 20+ points, 15+ rebounds and 10+ assists in a single game,
Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with historic stat line as Sun defeat Lynx, 79-69
That triple-double marked Thomas’ fifth of 2023 regular season and the ninth of her WNBA career (counting regular season and postseason play). No other player in league history has five total across their entire career.
Thomas then put up 11 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block in the Sun’s 88-72 win over the Fever on Aug. 4.
The Sun are back in action on Tuesday on the road against the Seattle Storm. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on NBA TV and NBC Sports Boston.
UConn legend Diana Taurasi named Western Conference Player of the Week
Out in the Western Conference, UConn legend and Phoenix Merucry guard Diana Taurasi earned Player of the Week honors for the 21st time in her career.
Taurasi became the first player in WNBA history to reach 10,000 career points against the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 3. She had one of the best games of her career in process, knocking down six triples and scoring 42 points, which was her most ever in regulation time and her most since July 14, 2010.
That 42-point performance was the fourth 40-point game of Taurasi’s career, giving her sole possession of the most in league history. She also joined Michael Jordan as the only other player in WNBA and NBA history to score 40 or more at the age of 40 or older.
Taurasi then recorded 28 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal against the Seattle Storm on Aug. 5. On the week as a whole, she notched a remarkable 99 points and 15 3-pointers in three games.