Alyssa Thomas (born April 12, 1992) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

for the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

(WNBA). She played college basketball for the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...

. The

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was f ...

drafted Thomas 4th overall in the

2014 WNBA draft The 2014 WNBA season, 2014 Women's National Basketball Association, WNBA WNBA draft, draft is the league's annual draft (sports), process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was ...

, and immediately traded her to the Sun along with

Kelsey Bone Kelsey Renée Bone (born December 31, 1991) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. College statistics Source USA Basketball Bone was selected to play in the USA Women's Youth Development Festival. Eligib ...

and a

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

first-round draft pick in exchange for Tina Charles. Thomas is the University of Maryland's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles for both the women's and men's programs, and one of only three athletes in NCAAW history with six career triple-doubles. Thomas is the only WNBA player to record four triple-doubles, which she did during the 2022 season.

Early years

Thomas attended

Central Dauphin High School Central Dauphin High School is a public high school located in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, it is one of two high schools in the Central Dauphin School District, and the first built in the school district. In the 2017–18 school year ...

in Pennsylvania and became the school's all-time leading scorer. She was named to the 2010 Parade All-American First Team, and was named a unanimous 2010 ESPN and USA Today All-American. She was selected as the 2010 Pennsylvania AAAA State Player of the Year.

College career

In her freshman season, Thomas was named 2011 ACC Rookie of the Year and was selected to the All-ACC Second Team. She led her team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game, as well as 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Thomas came to national attention in her sophomore season (2011-2012). After leading the ACC in scoring at 17.2 points per game, she was named the 2012 ACC Player of the Year and an AP, WBCA and USBWA First Team All-American. She led the Maryland Terrapins to the 2012 ACC Championship, scoring 29 points in the championship game against Georgia Tech and earning ACC Tournament MVP honors. The Terrapins went on to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, falling to Notre Dame in their final game of the 2011–2012 season. In her junior year, Thomas became the first person in NCAA or WNBA history to average over 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists for an entire season. She won ACC Player of the Year for a second time and led the injury-addled Terrapins to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. Thomas capped her collegiate career by earning 2014 ACC Player of the Year for a third straight season, in addition to AP, WBCA and USBWA First-Team All America honors. She led a young Terrapins squad on a deep run through the NCAA Tournament, scoring a career-high 33 points against the Tennessee Lady Vols in the Sweet Sixteen en route to reaching the 2014 Final Four in Nashville. The Terrapins were defeated by Notre Dame in the Final Four match-up. On June 27, 2014, Thomas was named ACC Female Athlete of the Year. The University of Maryland honored Thomas's jersey in a ceremony on March 2, 2014.

Maryland statistics

Source

Professional career

WNBA

Thomas was drafted 4th overall by the

in the

, and was draft-day traded to the Sun alongside

. In her rookie season, she averaged 10.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in her with the Sun in 34 games with 28 starts. She was named to the 2014

WNBA All-Rookie Team The WNBA All-Rookie Team is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) honor given since the 2005 WNBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the WNBA head coaches, who are not allowed to vote fo ...

. After her rookie season, Thomas would continue her role as starting power forward for the Sun. In 2017, Thomas would emerge as an all-star in the league. She scored a career-high 26 points in an 86–76 win over the

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...

. She would then be voted into the

2017 WNBA All-Star Game The 2017 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 22, 2017. The Seattle Storm hosted a WNBA All-Star Game for the first time. Starters for this year's All-Star game were selected by a combination of fan, media, and pla ...

, making it her first career all-star game appearance. Thomas would finish off the season setting new career-highs in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals as the Sun made the playoffs as the number 4 seed with a 21–13 record, receiving a bye to the second round, making it their first playoff appearance since 2012. In her first career playoff game, Thomas scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 88–83 loss to the

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...

. In February 2018, Thomas re-signed with the Sun to a multi-year deal in free agency. On August 9, 2018, Thomas scored a season-high 22 points in a 101–92 victory over the

Dallas Wings The Dallas Wings are an American basketball team based in Arlington, Texas. The Wings play in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team is owned by a group which is led by chairman Bill Cameron. Greg ...

to help the Sun clinch a playoff spot. The Sun finished 21–13 with the number 4 seed and a bye to the second round. The Sun would yet again lose to the Phoenix Mercury in the second round elimination game by a final score of 96–86.

Shooting style

Thomas has a torn labrum in each shoulder. Michael Rosenberg describes her one-handed shooting style in ''Sports Illustrated'': "a shooting motion that looks like a waiter carrying a tray, then throwing it in the air and quitting." She is left-handed and learned ambidexterity while growing up. During Game 2 of the 2021 semifinals against the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team play ...

Thomas dislocated her right shoulder. She returned to play in Game 3, scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Overseas

In 2014–2015, Thomas played in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

for Bucheon KEB Hana Bank. She led the league in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. In 2015–2016, Thomas signed in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

for Yakin Dogu. In the 2016-17 offseason, Thomas signed with Yongin Samsung Blueminx of the Korean League. In 2017, Thomas resigned with Yongin Samsung Blueminx for the 2017-18 off-season. In 2018, Thomas signed with

USK Praha USK Praha, ( cs, Univerzitní Sportovní Klub Praha, University Sports Club Prague), formerly known as Slavia VŠ Praha ( cs, Slavia Vysoké Školy Praha), is a Czech professional basketball club that was founded in 1953 in the city of Prague. ...

of the Czech League for the 2018-19 off-season.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

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Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, 34 , , 28 , , 27.3 , , .434 , , .200 , , .757 , , 5.1 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.7 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 24 , , 23 , , 26.0 , , .411 , , .000 , , .692 , , 5.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , 0.2 , , 1.7 , , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 31 , , 31 , , 27.1 , , .487 , , .000 , , .634 , , 6.0 , , 2.3 , , 1.4 , , 0.1 , , 2.4 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

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, 33 , , 33 , , 29.8 , , .509 , , .000 , , .567 , , 6.8 , , 4.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.4 , , 2.9 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

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, 24 , , 24 , , 30.6 , , .464 , , .000 , , .547 , , 8.1 , , 4.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.4 , , 2.0 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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, 34 , , 34 , , 30.2 , , .505 , , .000 , , .496 , , 7.8 , , 3.1 , , 1.9 , , 0.4 , , 2.0 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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, 21 , , 21 , , 32.8 , , .500 , , .000 , , .686 , , 9.0 , , 4.8 , , 2.0 , , 0.3 , , 2.5 , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 12.3 , , .267 , , .000 , , .750 , , 3.3 , , 1.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 3.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 36 , , 32.1 , , .500 , , .000 , , .730 , , 8.2 , , 6.1 , , 1.7 , , 0.2 , , 2.9 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 9 years, 1 team , 240 , , 230 , , 29.2 , , .481 , , .143 , , .636 , , 6.9 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.3 , , 2.3 , , 11.9

Playoffs

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, 1 , , 1 , , 32.0 , , .667 , , .000 , , .667 , , 10.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 6.0 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 1 , , 35.0 , , .538 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 3.0 , , 3.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 17.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 8 , , 37.0 , , .532 , , .000 , , .778 , , 9.3 , , 6.6 , , 2.4 , , 0.1 , , 2.1 , , 16.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 32.4 , , .515 , , .000 , , .767 , , 8.1 , , 4.0 , , 1.7 , , 0.4 , , 2.1 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 0 , , 23.3 , , .408 , , .000 , , .636 , , 6.0 , , 3.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.5 , , 1.3 , , 11.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 12 , , 33.5 , , .474 , , .000 , , .576 , , 9.5 , , 6.3 , , 1.5 , , 0.7 , , 2.5 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 6 years, 1 team , 33 , , 29 , , 32.9 , , .498 , , .000 , , .706 , , 8.5 , , 5.3 , , 1.7 , , 0.4 , , 2.2 , , 14.7

Personal life

Thomas is the older sister of former Wake Forest player

Devin Thomas Devin Thomas (born November 15, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Michigan State, he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played for the Redskins ...

. As of February 2021 she is in a romantic relationship with her

teammate

DeWanna Bonner DeWanna Bonner (born August 21, 1987) is an American-Macedonian professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Bonner played college basketball for Auburn University. After a successf ...

.DeWanna Bonner Dewannabonner(2021, February 16). You know how sometimes great things happen, and you really don't expect it !!! Well this was one of them❤️❤️ !! I know some may have a lot of questions, but I didn't post this picture for that, just to show pure happiness!!! This is how I ended my Valentine's Day!! Laughing until my belly hurt with this amazing human!! ❤️❤️ @athomas_25 nstagram photoretrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/CLXuAxlhFXG/

References

External links

*
Maryland Terrapins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Alyssa 1992 births Living people All-American college women's basketball players American women's basketball players Basketball players from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Connecticut Sun players LGBT basketball players LGBT people from Pennsylvania Lesbian sportswomen Maryland Terrapins women's basketball players New York Liberty draft picks Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball) Power forwards (basketball) Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars

Early years

College career

Maryland statistics

Professional career

WNBA

Shooting style

Overseas

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

See also

References

External links