LAS VEGAS — Alyssa Thomas’ competitiveness stretches far beyond the basketball court.
Just ask Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper, who lost a not-so-friendly game of UNO during the team’s journey to Las Vegas ahead of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Friday against the Las Vegas Aces. Thomas and Copper may be teammates when they suit up in purple and orange, butthe pair are each other’s biggest competitors off the court.
‘I’m the best (UNO player) on the team,’ Thomas triumphantly bragged on Thursday, offering a lighthearted glimpse into how the Mercury are staying loose on an otherwise serious business trip. Thomas turned to Copper, ‘Do you want to tell people the truth?’
RANKING WNBA FINALS ROSTERS: Who’s at the top of the list?
PREDICTIONS: Who will win the WNBA Finals? Experts make their picks
The truth is Copper publicly challenged her teammates to the card game, writing on her X account on Wednesday, ‘Brb, on this plane bout to put BTA in UNO.. (so glad AT not on these socials).’
Well, Thomas is at least monitoring social media because she fired off her first post on X since July to set the record straight, telling Copper, ‘That’s not how I remember it.’ Apparently Thomas, the triple-double machine, powered up plenty of Draw 4s.
‘I would like to say I am the best UNO player, however, I did take a couple L’s recently,’ Copper said with an eye roll.
Thomas promptly interjected, stating Copper is the second-best UNO player on the team. ‘I’m the best on the team. When they can’t beat her, I come out and then I beat her and then I go back and do what I need to do.’
Thomas said she’s ‘super competitive’ in everything she does, which started in her childhood.
‘I grew up in a super competitive family. Anything, board games to punch buggies we’re super competitive in,’ she said, previously adding, ‘It started with my parents. As a kid. Any win that we had, whether it was Trouble or Candyland, we had to earn our win. So for me, when I would get a win against them, it was exciting.’
The Mercury’s collective competitiveness can be seen in their never-say-die attitude. Phoenix overcame a 20-point deficit to win Game 2 of the WNBA semifinal series in overtime against the Minnesota Lynx and came back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 4 to clinch the series and advance to the WNBA Finals.
‘This is what it’s all about. We played the whole season for playoffs and moments like this,’ Thomas said after the Game 2 overtime win on Sept. 23. ‘It is definitely a moment that we will never forget. And for me, I want to win. I’ve been chasing the championship for a long time and yeah, I think this is our time.’
Both Copper and Thomas are gearing up for their hardest battle yet against the Las Vegas Aces.
‘It’s going to be a hard fought battle and tough series,’ Thomas said. ‘You don’t know what each game is going to bring, but the biggest thing is about us staying composed and sticking together.’
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.