Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas Faces Fine After Technical Foul in Loss to Chicago Sky
The Phoenix Mercury, led by Alyssa Thomas, faced a tough loss against the Chicago Sky, ending their three-game winning streak with a score of 77-66. The Mercury struggled on offense, shooting only 37% from the field and 7-of-24 from beyond the arc. Kahleah Copper was the leading scorer for Phoenix with 25 points, followed by DeWanna Bonner with 12 points and seven rebounds. Thomas contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the game.
A significant factor in the game was the difference in bench scoring, with Chicago's bench outscoring Phoenix's second unit 25-9. Adding to the disappointment, Thomas received a technical foul in the second quarter for disputing a call, marking her fourth technical foul of the season. As a result, she is now facing a $1,000 fine from the WNBA for accumulating technical fouls.
The WNBA imposes fines for technical fouls, with the first three costing $500 each, the fourth through seventh at $1,000 each, and subsequent technical fouls at $1,500 each along with a one-game suspension. Thomas had previously served a one-game suspension for a hit on Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, which was retroactively upgraded to a Flagrant 2 foul. With Thomas nearing the technical foul and flagrant points limit, she will need to exercise caution in future games to avoid further penalties.