Fever coach Stephanie White leaves no doubt about her opinion of Alyssa Thomas

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White gave Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas credit for being an outstanding player.

For the third time this WNBA season, the Fever has faced the Mercury in the regular season. Indiana’s coach has praised Thomas as a well-rounded player who involves her teammates on the offensive end.

Indiana visited Phoenix on Thursday in the hostile environment of the PHX Arena. During her pregame media availability, White was asked how they prepare to defend players like the Maryland standout.

“Yeah, I mean, well, AT is just one of the most competitive and complete players who’s ever played the game,” White said. “I mean, she is a point guard mentality in a power forward body. I mean, her skill set is elite. She reads the game in an elite way.”

The Fever secured a 92-89 road win despite an amazing performance from Thomas, who finished with 22 points, six boards and seven dimes. They now lead the season head-to-head matchup, 2-1.

; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts alongside Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas — Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts alongside Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas.

Stephanie White admits the difficulty of trying to stop Alyssa Thomas

The player-turned-coach had the pleasure of coaching Thomas for two seasons in 2023 and 2024, when she was at the helm of the Connecticut Sun.

Now, she’s on the other side of the fence, trying to devise a plan to contain the six-time WNBA All-Star on defense. White mentioned this during the same pregame interview.

“She makes it challenging because of the way that she sees the floor and because of the way that she’s able to find her open teammates and pick her opportunities to go to the rim,” White said.

Thomas recently made headlines for the wrong reasons after a controversial incident with Caitlin Clark. She drove her fist into Clark’s throat, leading to a Flagrant 2 foul and a one-game suspension.

Currently, the 13-year WNBA veteran is averaging 14.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive.

Thomas and Co. will take on the Las Vegas Aces at the Michelob ULTRA Arena on Saturday.