Alyssa Thomas

Unable to be much more tightly-contested if they tried, the Connecticut Sun (237 points) and Minnesota Lynx (233 points) found themselves as no strangers to down-to-the-wire finishes across all three regular-season battles in the lead-up to their postseason tango. Tested by the crunchtime atmosphere once more in Game One, Connecticut discovered how much of a luxury it was to have a Most Valuable Player finalist with the pressure at its apex. One possession removed from connecting on a clutch layup that pushed Connecticut’s lead to three, Thomas — with Connecticut again in a must-score situation — stations within her normal inside-the-arc area in search of a high-percentage attempt. Surrounded by nothing but chaos and Minnesota Lynx jerseys with under 15 seconds remaining, the five-time All-Star settles for a pseudo pick-and-pop, drifting into uncovered space before draining a game-clinching 15-footer. The game itself became the literal definition of “postseason basketball,” with Thomas and the Sun locking in to hold Minnesota to eight final-quarter points, prompting a come-from-behind win on September 29, 2024. All-around as always, Thomas contributed 17 points (on 8-of-12 shooting), 10 rebounds, nine assists, and three steals.