Jun 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) looks on against the New York Liberty during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images - Source: Imagn

“No AT is wild”: Former Mercury PXP announcer pulls no punches on Alyssa Thomas’ WNBA All-Star snub despite splendid season

Published Jul 01, 2025 12:32 GMT

Former Phoenix Mercury announcer Cindy Brunson pulled no punches when discussing Alyssa Thomas' WNBA All-Star snub on Monday. The forward has enjoyed a splendid debut season with the Mercury, but was not named in the All-Star starters for 2025.

The official WNBA account announced the official starters pool through a post on Instagram, in which Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier were named as captains. This list included some big names, with the chosen forwards being Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury), Breanna Stewart (NY Liberty) and Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx).

Thomas' omission didn't sit right with Brunson, who voiced her discontentment over this decision.

"No, AT is wild. She’s leading the league in assists 😳," she wrote.

Cindy Brunson fires back at the WNBA for omitting Alyssa Thomas from the All-Star starters

The former Connecticut Sun star has been a revelation since she moved to Phoenix as a part of a four-team trade.

After the trade, Thomas has averaged 14.3 points, 9.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game. Her assist tally is the best in the league, with Caitlin Clark a close second with 8.9 assists per game.

Thomas' performances alongside Satou Sabally have propelled the Mercury (12-5) to second in the standings as they sit 2.5 games behind the Minnesota Lynx.

Alyssa Thomas opens up on the Mercury's performance after Aces end their six-game win streak

The Mercury have been on a roll this season as they look to make a deep run in the playoffs. Exiting in the first round after a seventh-place finish in 2024, the Mercury built well in the off-season.

One such addition this summer was Alyssa Thomas, who, alongside Satou Sabally, has led the team from the front.

The Mercury lost to the Aces on Sunday, ending their six-game win streak. Thomas opened up about this loss during the post-game interview.

"I mean, I think early on they were guarding the three well, and we missed a lot of opportunities just to get to the basket," she said. "It's games like this what the playoffs are going to be like, so definitely a learning lesson for us today." (0:37 onwards)

Despite the loss, the Mercury remain in second place, as they look to close the gap between them and the Minnesota Lynx.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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