Mercury star Alyssa Thomas earns spot on WNBA All-Defensive First Team

Phoenix Mercury star player Alyssa Thomas earned a spot on the 2025 WNBA All-Defensive First Team, her seventh career All-Defensive team selection.

Thomas is a three-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team member and four-time Second Team honoree, as she has made one of the two in four straight seasons.

WNBA All-Defensive First Team:

• Napheesa Collier (Minnesota)
• Alanna Smith (Minnesota)
• Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix)
• Gabby Williams (Seattle)
• A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas)

WNBA All-Defensive Second Team:

• Aliyah Boston (Indiana)
• Veronica Burton (Golden State)
• Rhyne Howard (Atlanta)
• Ezi Magbegor (Seattle)
• Breanna Stewart (New York)

Brianna Turner was the last Mercury player to make the All-Defensive First Team, doing so back in 2021.

Thomas anchored a Mercury unit that finished fifth with a 100.4 defensive rating, the team’s best rating since 2019, and fifth in opposing points per game (80.1). She tied for fifth in the WNBA with 1.6 steals per game and ranked third in defensive rebounding with 7.2 per contest.

The Mercury acquired Thomas and fellow All-Star Satou Sabally last offseason in a four-team trade with the Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever, remaking their roster.

Thomas set the WNBA triple-doubles record with eight this year and led the Mercury back to the playoffs, where Phoenix defeated New York and Minnesota en route to the WNBA Finals.

The Mercury trail the Las Vegas Aces in the series 2-0, and Game 3 is Wednesday at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix at 5 p.m. MST.

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