The playoffs have long been on the minds of the Phoenix Mercury.
Since the front office assembled the roster over the offseason and saw it crystallize after training camp, there's been a countdown clock at the Mountain American Performance Center that ends around the last possible date for the WNBA Finals in October.
Every team has lofty expectations, but for the Alyssa Thomas-led Mercury, it's not far-fetched.
The front office addressed the unknowns of what the team would look like without future Hall of Famers Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner by surrounding guard Kahleah Copper with All-Star players in Thomas and Satou Sabally.
With Thomas operating as the point forward and voice in the locker room, the Mercury have shattered expectations and are headed for the playoffs.
"I've always asked for shooters and that's what they went and got," Thomas said. "When you're able to have that kind of spacing, it puts the defense in trouble. You're either going to help in on me or I'm going to spread out and help my teammates."
And for the first time since Griner's 2021 campaign, the Mercury have an MVP candidate.
Thomas, alongside Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson, has made the MVP race tighter and tighter as the season has gone on.
"The thing that I love about AT is that she does it on both ends," Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said. "You could argue that the other two (MVP candidates) do it also, but what she's done for us defensively is special. AT does it in a different way. She doesn't do it with scoring, so her scoring average isn't as high, but she does it with her assists and rebounding.
"Coaches are always going to push their own players, but I think she's been overlooked this year, she's been overlooked her whole career when it comes to the MVP race."
In her 12 season in the WNBA, Thomas hasn't slowed down and has further enforced her nickname, "The Engine."
Thomas has never been known to score in flashy ways, making only two 3-pointers in her career. Part of that comes from torn labrums in both shoulders, but the evolution of her game has set her apart from her competitors.
The only person Thomas topped when she set a single-season triple-double record this season was herself.
Much like her 2023 campaign, where she set her first triple-double record, Thomas was overlooked throughout that season. Playing for the Connecticut Sun, Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists as she finished second in MVP voting.
Even as Thomas continues to do things that haven't been done in the WNBA, Tibbetts is confounded that the league's undisputed triple-double leader is underrated.
"There's situations in teams, organizations that maybe don't get the national media attention," he said. "Just hearing players' stories throughout my two years in the W, there's a lot of stories to be told.
"Unfortunately, only some of them get told. What she's done before she got here and what she's doing now is absolutely special."
Thomas has created an on-court persona unafraid to be physical and get in her opponents' faces with that signature grin. But outside of basketball, Thomas lives a quiet life and prefers it that way.
Her modesty doesn't take away from her importance to the teams she's been on.
"Every single day, whether it's practice, whether it's media, whether it's a game, she leads," Mercury teammate DeWanna Bonner said. "She's always the first one at the gym, she's always one of the last ones to leave.
"She takes care of her body, she works really, really hard, so it just motivates everybody else. We got to do the same, and she sets the standard for our team, and we try to follow."
Through Thomas' steady play and leadership, the Mercury have battled through injuries, illnesses, late comebacks and an inconsistent schedule.
Thomas, Copper and Sabally have provided the expected star power, but the team's biggest surprises came from the free agents.
Veteran guard Sami Whitcomb brought in experience and sharp shooting. General manager Nick U'Ren traveled overseas and found first-year players Monique Akoa Makani, Kathryn Westbeld, Lexi Held and Kit Laksa, who have all contributed throughout the season.
But the team was still one move away from solidifying itself as a legitimate contender.
The missing piece was Bonner. Acquired by Phoenix in early July following her split with the Indiana Fever, she is Thomas' best on-court collaborator -- and is engaged to Thomas.
The transition took some time, especially given Bonner's emotional exit. Bonner said being back where she was drafted was helpful. She also credited her kids for helping her find her love of basketball again after spending some time away following her stint with the Fever.
"They remind you that life is short," Bonner said. "They have no idea what's going on behind the scenes, so they just made it fun.
"Even if Alyssa wasn't here, I was here for 10 years. Phoenix is still the same, even though everything else has changed. I walked the wrong way to the locker rooms for my first time, but the fans are still the same, the love is still the same, the energy is still the same. It was needed in that time."
And Bonner has been needed for the Mercury as the 16-year veteran has become one of the top bench players in the league.
With the playoffs looming and the need for depth, the Mercury might prove that the sky is the limit.