WNBA Playoffs Triple-Doubles: Every Player to Ever Do It

A triple-double in the WNBA may as well just be called an Alyssa Thomas.

The Mercury star has rewritten the league's history book when it comes to the feat. She holds 23 triple-doubles over her 12-year career while no other player has more than four. Four of Thomas's triple-doubles have come in the postseason, and she's the only player in league history to record multiple in the playoffs.

Even with Thomas atop the WNBA's triple-double throne, they have become more common across the league in recent years. This season saw 15 total triple-doubles (with eight from Thomas), which is already the most in league history. There were 14 triple-doubles over the 2023 season, including the regular season and playoffs.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Skylar Diggins, Jackie Young, Julie Allemand and Jessica Shephard recorded triple-doubles this season in addition to Thomas. Diggins even did it in the All-Star Game, the first instance of a triple-double ever in the event. Just nine days later, she did it in the regular season, too.

Thomas's Mercury earned the league's No. 4 seed and are taking on the defending champion Liberty in the first round of the playoffs. Any time she steps on the court, she's a threat to put up a triple-double. Although the most likely, she's not the only player that's capable of reaching the feat of course. Aces stars Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray have two triple-doubles apiece in their careers, as does Courtney Williams of the Lynx. There's Diggins and Shephard who have both done it this year, plus Sabrina Ionescu who has the second-most triple-doubles in league history behind Thomas with four.

But, Thomas is the only player active in the playoffs to have recorded a triple-double in the postseason before this year. Maybe someone else will join her. Here's everything you need to know about playoff triple-doubles in WNBA playoffs history:

WNBA Playoffs Triple-Doubles

There have only been six triple-doubles to come during the playoffs in WNBA history. And, shockingly, Thomas owns four of those. Sheryl Swoopes was the first player to record a triple-double in the playoffs when she did so for the now-defunct Houston Comets back in '05. After that, 16 years went by before we saw another one in the playoffs.

Courtney Vandersloot ended the drought in '21 with the Sky with a whopping 18 assists in a double-overtime win over the Sun before Chicago went onto win their first and only WNBA title. After that, Thomas's postseason triple-double reign began.

As a member of the Sun, she's recorded her four postseason triple-doubles over just three seasons. Two of those came in the WNBA Finals, a series Connecticut dropped to the Aces. Now, she's dropped eight triple-doubles as a member of the Mercury this season, adding to her league-record 23. We'll see if she can add to her title over the postseason as Phoenix hopes to take down the defending champion Liberty or if anyone else can join Thomas's party.

With the postseason underway, here's every instance of a triple-double in WNBA playoffs history. All data is according to Across the Timeline: