Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) celebrates their 82-66 win against the Connecticut Sun in Phoenix, at PHX Arena on Aug 5, 2025. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Why Mercury's Thomas Will Become A Top 10 Rebounder

Originally posted on Phoenix Mercury On SI
By Davion Moore | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 12:00 PM ET

Alyssa Thomas had an excellent 2025 season, and she was one of five Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidates. In what was her first season with the Phoenix Mercury, she helped them reach the WNBA Finals. Phoenix's Finals appearance was its first since 2021, and it is the franchise's sixth overall.

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Thomas and the Mercury had an impressive run, and they beat the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx before facing the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces swept the Mercury, but Phoenix's stars played well during that stretch.

Phoenix's All-Star forward averaged 15.4 points, 9.2 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals. She led the league in assists, and she was third in rebounds. Angel Reese was the leader in rebounds per game, as she averaged 12.6. A'ja Wilson was second, and she averaged 10.2.

Thomas had a total of 344 rebounds in 2025. Her strength was the defensive end, as she had 280 defensive rebounds. Then, she had 64 offensive boards.

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In 2024, Thomas had 337 rebounds. She had 239 defensive rebounds, and she had 98 offensive ones. The MVP candidate was playing for the Connecticut Sun at that time, and she started her career with them.

Connecticut acquired her in 2014, as she was the fourth pick of that year's draft. She was drafted by the Liberty, but they traded her to the Sun shortly after.

In her first season, Thomas had 174 rebounds. She had 111 defensive rebounds and 63 offensive boards. She got off to a nice start, and over the years, she continued to contribute.

Thomas looking to crack the top 10

Thomas is an exceptional rebounder, and her best season was in 2023. She had 394 rebounds, and 314 were on the defensive end. That year was significant, as it was the year Thomas had six triple-doubles. That was a record, and she broke it with her eight triple-doubles in 2025. The All-Star forward was an MVP candidate in 2023, and she finished second in the race.

Phoenix's new star contributes in different areas, and when it comes to rebounds, she has a total of 2,740. She is 12th on the all-time rebounding list, and the player ahead of her is Taj McWilliams-Franklin. McWilliams-Franklin had 3,013 rebounds in her career.

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Tina Thompson is 10th on the list, and she had 3,070 boards. Phoenix's star has a legitimate shot at reaching the top 10, and if she has a season like she did last year, she will inch closer to that spot.