Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas continues to put together a terrific season, and she’s getting recognized for it.
The All-Star earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors on Tuesday following an impressive July. She finished the month with a few noteworthy performances.
She recorded her first triple-double in the WNBA on July 22 with 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 94-84 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
Thomas then posted her 11th double-double of the season on Thursday in the Sun’s 88-83 win over the Seattle Storm with 19 points and 11 assists, while also grabbing five rebounds.
In Sunday’s overtime loss to the Chicago Sky, Thomas stuffed the stat sheet. She finished the day with 22 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals.
“She’s our engine. She spurs us in those moments and really wills with her energy and toughness,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said following Sunday’s loss to the Sky. “I felt like she was competing out of the gate… She spearheads a lot of that energy.”
The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.4 steals throughout the month of July, where the Sun had 10 games and went 7-3.
This is the second time this season Thomas has earned the honor (May) as well as the ninth time a Sun player has done so (Tina Charles with three: June 2011, June and July 2012 and Jonquel Jones with four: June 2017 as well as May, August and September 2021).
The way Thomas has has performing this season has led to the Sun advocating for her to be named the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, hence the hashtag #ATforDPOY. She is averaging 1.7 steals per game on the season so far, good for third across the league.
Here are more CT Sun notes:
— DeWanna Bonner had a stellar performance Sunday as well. In the 95-92 overtime loss, the forward fell just short of a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds.
— Brionna Jones has been a key part of the Sun roster and has been consistent off the bench, helping make a case for her to be named the WNBA’s Sixth Player of the Year. Against the Storm, she had 13 points and five rebounds. The forward also recorded 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in the loss to the Sky.
— The Sun are set to face Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury at home twice on Tuesday and Thursday with both tip offs set for 7 p.m. ET. You can catch Tuesday’s matchup on NESN+.
— Following Thursday’s home game, the Sun head on the road to face the Chicago Sky. The squad is looking to get their first win over the first place (23-7) reigning WNBA champions in the final matchup of the three-game season series.
