Alyssa Thomas could be trapped in her Game 1 free-throw nightmare. She missed the chance to give Mercury a 1-0 lead, and now it can come haunting back. While Game 1 was Mercury dominating the majority of the time, the Aces grabbed Game 2 by the scruff of its neck. Right from the word go, they were constantly at Mercury, grabbing every  50-50 ball. Thomas attempted to match that activity but was limited by foul calls during the sequence.

The Mercury were basically forcing an Alyssa Thomas vs A’ja Wilson contest, mirroring their minutes on the court. Thomas took Wilson head-on but slipped to 3 fouls and headed to the bench with 3:10 left for halftime. Thomas was going for her usual pickpockets on Aces but got called in the process. 

On the Aces’ side, they were getting regular scrappy steals without the whistle. In the second quarter, three Aces players were practically swatting at Thomas after she grabbed an offensive rebound, and Chelsea Gray ultimately stole the ball, but still no call. Thomas just smiled at the referees in protest as she ran back on defense. 

At the other end of the court, Thomas was once again guarding Wilson in the third quarter, keeping her hands up like a good defender. Wilson hit her with a fadeaway and was called for a four. Even ESPN on-air commentators Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo did not see a foul on Wilson as she stepped to the line.

“Alyssa Thomas has been unhappy with the refs all afternoon, and that did not change on the final possession of the half as she’s stripped multiple times. She turned the ball over five times in Game 1, and she already has three here at the break.” The Athletic team wrote. 

Thomas struggled all game because of the foul trouble and had a quiet night compared to her usual standards. She finished with 10 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds. The Mercury continued to pit Thomas against Wilson, but her defense was largely limited. While she did not have another foul for the rest of the game, the first half was enough to put the brakes on her extremely physical style of play. That is something many have a problem with, but Mercury coach Nate Tibbets wants to hear none of it. 

Nate Tibbets Reveals Official Frustration With Alyssa Thomas

Alyssa Thomas has largely been painted as a villain because of her style of basketball. It rose further after she accidentally injured Napheesa Collier, which caused Cheryl Reeve to crash out, and the drama with the commissioner afterward. Nate Tibbets jumped to his player’s defense immediately, even then. “If anyone has a glimmer to think that AT [Thomas] made that play on purpose, that it was a dirty play, it’s just straight up out of line.” Now, he has done the same after a disappointing Game 2 loss.

“There is no holding back AT. She is who she is, that’s why we love her. That’s why she’s the player that she is. You know, the thing that I just get disappointed in is hearing. Our officials say that she’s hard to officiate because she plays so physical right. We want her to be at because she’s a hell of a player and we want her playing with that downhill force.” Tibbets said after the game. 

Thomas herself acknowledges the reality of her style.  “I feel like people just play physically with me in general,” Thomas said. “I’m a physical player as well. If you’ve been through the playoffs, it’s just how it is. I embrace it, I love it, and it’s what you have to anticipate when it’s playoff time.” While that did not fall her way in Game 2, the point guard won’t give up on her style immediately. Yes, like today, she could run into foul trouble again, but Thomas will come back with a more strategic use of her physicality in Game 3 onwards.