ranked Alyssa Thomas as the No. 2 player in the WNBA ahead of the 2026 season, putting the Phoenix Mercury forward behind only A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. Thomas and teammate Kahleah Copper were both included on the network's list of the 50 best WNBA players.
Kendra Andrews said Thomas's playmaking and record-breaking assists season made her one of the league's top players heading into 2026. Thomas led the WNBA in assists per game in 2025, broke the league's single-season assists record with 357 and finished with at least 300 assists for the third straight season. She also recorded eight triple-doubles, breaking her own mark of six set in 2023.
The ranking comes after a first season in Phoenix that quickly changed the shape of the Mercury. Thomas was acquired in a four-team trade in February 2025, then finished third in MVP voting after averaging 15.4 points, 9.2 assists and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.2%. She earned All-Star honors and was named to the All-WNBA First Team for the third time in her career.
Thomas's production only rose in the postseason, when she averaged 16.9 points, nine rebounds and 8.8 assists per game and helped Phoenix reach the WNBA Finals. She then signed a new deal to return to the Mercury this offseason, keeping a core in place for a team that finished last season with real title ambitions.
Copper was ranked No. 12 after a season interrupted by left knee surgery and a hamstring injury. She missed the first 11 games, sat out more time in July and still averaged 15.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28 regular-season games before averaging 17.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in the postseason. Copper also re-signed with Phoenix this offseason, while DeWanna Bonner appeared on 's list at No. 47.
The Mercury will get an early test of that reshaped roster on Saturday, when they open the regular season in Las Vegas against the defending champion Aces. That matchup will offer the first real look at whether Thomas's all-around dominance can carry straight from last year's breakthrough into another run.
