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Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, center, is pressured by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, left, and forward NaLyssa Smith during WNBA Finals competition in Las Vegas. (Photo by John Locher\/Associated Press)<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS \u2013\u00a0Preparing for Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas, aka \u201cThe Engine,\u201d poses challenges for players and coaches alike when it comes to duplicating her playstyle in practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, Thomas\u2019 aggressive play is about as hard to replicate as it is to plan against.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Alyssa Thomas is probably the one player in the league that could switch and play professional football,\u201d Hammon said. \u201cI can\u2019t really simulate her. She\u2019s just a different animal in our league.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maybe Hammon could have called upon Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby for advice, if not for his team\u2019s trip to Indianapolis to face the Colts.\u00a0 But Sunday was around the corner, and there was little to no time to prepare for what was to come.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or was there? In Game 2 of the WNBA Finals Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena, the Aces dominated the glass in a 91-78 victory to give Las Vegas a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as it seeks to capture its third championship in the past four years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Aces limited Thomas to 10 points, five assists and six rebounds, all postseason lows for the Mercury forward. In nine postseason games, Thomas is averaging 36 minutes, 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019 aggressiveness in Sunday night\u2019s loss was not received well by officials, who ultimately tagged her for four personal fouls, which reduced her time on the court to just 30 minutes. At halftime, Thomas could be seen walking off the court yelling at officials for what she believed to be inconsistent game-calling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing that I just get disappointed in is hearing our officials say that she\u2019s hard to officiate because she plays so physical,\u201d Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. \u201cAT is going to be AT, and we want her to be AT. She\u2019s a hell of a player and we want her playing with that downhill force.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first game where Thomas has run into foul trouble against the Aces. In the regular season, Thomas racked up a season-high five personal fouls in an 83-61 loss Aug. 21 that saw Las Vegas outscore Phoenix in points off turnovers, 21-0.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the time, Tibbetts credited the struggles his offense had against Las Vegas with the unpredictability of its defense, something that has stayed true so far in the postseason as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey play a switching defense,\u201d Tibbetts said. \u201cNot a lot of teams switch as much as they do, and it got us a little bit stagnant to be quite honest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The stagnation followed Phoenix into Game 2, where the Mercury shot just 5-for-28 from behind the arc (17.9%) and 0-for-7 in the second quarter where the Aces took the lead at 5:33 and never let it go. Forward Satou Sabally, who shot 2-for-9 in 3-point field goal attempts, called for more teamwork on the court moving forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just didn\u2019t share the ball as much,\u201d Sabally said. \u201cWe have to play together and just zip the ball a little bit more and play side-to-side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the Mercury\u2019s defense was a key factor in the team\u2019s playoff berth and their path to the WNBA Finals. Since the series began, however, the defense has not shown up for Phoenix and they\u2019ve paid the price with their first losing streak of the postseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re here because of our defense,\u201d Tibbetts said. \u201cTo give up 89 points in Game 1 and 91 in Game 2. \u2026 I know they\u2019re a really good offensive team, they\u2019ve got great players, but we have to be better on the defensive end.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas represents a large portion of the defensive equation with her ability to compile defensive rebounds for fast-break points that spark the Mercury\u2019s offense. But with just three on the night, the Aces were able to keep possessions longer while outrebounding Phoenix 43-34.<\/p>\n
Between the turnovers and lack of rebounds, Thomas stands at the center of an important discussion around the WNBA that is attempting to establish a distinction between fair and foul play. In Friday\u2019s press conference with league commissioner Cathy Engelbert, much of her prepared marks centered around reforming officiating and drawing that line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery major sport goes through this,\u201d Engelbert said. \u201cRules evolve, officiating adapts, standards shift. Alongside the growth of the game, the WNBA is no different.\u201d<\/p>\n
The question that begs asking is whether or not the new landscape of officiating will welcome a tougher level of basketball or leave playstyles like Thomas\u2019 behind. Until the new collective bargaining agreement is finalized, the answer is still up in the air.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite the struggles, Thomas surpassed long-time Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot for the all-time leader in postseason assists (391), a stat indicative of her ability to lift up those around her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nicknamed \u201cThe Engine\u201d for a reason, Thomas still has enough left in the tank to help the Mercury make another comeback, something the team has had a knack for all postseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And just as Dorothy will tell you during the screenings of \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d at the Sphere, there\u2019s no place like home. The Mercury will head home to face the Aces on Wednesday in front of the faithful \u201cX-Factor\u201d for Game 3, an environment that has paid dividends for Phoenix all year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Mercury guard Kahleah Copper, the love the Valley has for the Mercury is a sigh of relief for the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the X-Factor is a huge part of the success we had this season,\u201d Copper said. \u201cIt\u2019s just always good to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n
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