First-time Olympian Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun drives against Kelsey Mitchell and Temi Fagbenle of the Indiana Fever.Photo: Emilee Chinn (Getty Images)
With plenty of star power on the Team USA roster, Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas will be tasked with two things coming off the bench – being a physical presence on both sides of the ball and giving 100% on every possession like she does every game. Nicknamed “The Engine,” Thomas is one of the main reasons the Connecticut Sun has been a successful franchise over the last half decade.
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A native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, she is determined to assist Team USA bring home its eighth straight gold medal. Here are five brisk facts about this first-time Olympian.
She is ambidextrous not by choice
Thomas is naturally left-handed, but shoots with her right hand. This is because she tore the labrum in her right shoulder in 2015 and the left labrum in 2017. She’s put off shoulder surgery for the last nine years and has basically changed her style of play to minimize strain.
She is Maryland’s All-Time Leader In Categories
Thomas holds all-time records in points, rebounds and double-doubles for both the men’s and women’s programs at the University of Maryland. During her junior year, she became the first player in women’s college basketball or WNBA history to average 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists for an entire season.
She is one-half of the WNBA’s up-to-date “power couple”
After dating for two years, Thomas and Sun forward DeWanna Bonner got engaged in July 2023 . While they are usually teammates on the court, they were opponents at the recent WNBA All-Star game in Phoenix, as Bonner played for the WNBA All-Stars while Thomas played for Team USA.
She Is the Triple Double Queen of the WNBA
Thomas is one of three players in women’s college basketball history to record at least six triple-doubles, and she is the all-time leader in triple doubles for the WNBA with 13. She has 10 in the regular season, including two this season and three in the postseason.
She Will Probably Go Down as the Best Player in Sun History
Her impact on the league and the Sun will be remembered forever, as she is on her way to breaking more records by the end of the season.
George Hamilton III is a sports journalist based in Los Angeles.
