Down 3-0 in the WNBA Finals, Mercury superstar Alyssa Thomas collided with Aces guard Jewell Loyd on a screen near the end of the first half of Game 4 Friday.
Thomas went down to the floor and grabbed her shoulder in pain. A scary sight for any player, but especially one of the WNBA's toughest competitors. Loyd was called for an offensive foul on the play and the WNBA's all-time leader in triple-doubles went to the locker room with 9.2 seconds left in the second quarter.
Thomas returned at the start of the second half with plenty of tape on her right shoulder and appeared to grimace after taking a shot with her right hand.
Alyssa Thomas appeared to injure her shoulder on this illegal screen by Jewell Loyd. pic.twitter.com/4oLPGHVv1x
— ESPN (@espn) October 11, 2025
Alyssa Thomas cashes in on the jumper 🤑
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2025
LVA-PHX | ESPN | WNBA Finals | @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/itIfLabEJz
She has a torn labrum in each shoulder, which has caused her to use a one-handed shooting motion. She doesn't shoot from distance because, well, she can't. She's played with a torn labrum for eight years and refuses to get them fixed because, “They said the surgery and recovery is harder than the Achilles," she said last year. Thomas dislocated her right shoulder back in the 2020 WNBA playoffs and returned to play in the next game.
While we wait to hear an official update on Thomas's right shoulder this time, her toughness stood out yet again with the Mercury's season on the line.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alyssa Thomas Remains in Game 4 of WNBA Finals Despite Painful-Looking Collision.
