Alyssa Thomas

Alyssa Thomas grew up in Pennsylvania and attended Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg. She became the school's all-time leading scorer and earned several major high school honors, including Parade Magazine All-America First Team recognition, USA Today All-USA Third Team honors, and Associated Press Pennsylvania Class 4A Player of the Year. She considered several major college programs before choosing the University of Maryland.

Thomas began her college career at Maryland in 2010. As a freshman, she averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. She was named ACC Rookie of the Year, selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team, and earned Second-Team All-ACC honors.

Her sophomore season brought national recognition. Thomas led the ACC in scoring at 17.2 points per game, won ACC Player of the Year, and earned First-Team All-American honors from AP, WBCA, and USBWA. She helped Maryland win the 2012 ACC Championship and was named ACC Tournament MVP after scoring 29 points in the title game against Georgia Tech.

As a junior, Thomas became the first player in NCAA or WNBA history to average more than 18 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists for an entire season. She won ACC Player of the Year for a second time and helped Maryland reach the Sweet Sixteen.

Thomas completed her Maryland career in 2014 with another ACC Player of the Year award and multiple First-Team All-American honors. She led Maryland to the 2014 Final Four and was named ACC Female Athlete of the Year. Maryland honored her jersey in 2014. She finished as the program's all-time leader in points, rebounds, and double-doubles.

In the 2014 WNBA Draft, Thomas was selected fourth overall by the New York Liberty and traded the same day to the Connecticut Sun. As a rookie, she averaged 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.

Thomas became a long-term starter for Connecticut. In 2017, she earned her first WNBA All-Star selection and helped the Sun return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. She continued to develop as a passer and defender while becoming one of the league's most versatile forwards.

Her career with Connecticut included multiple playoff runs, All-Star selections, All-WNBA honors, All-Defensive Team selections, and league statistical achievements. In 2020, she led the WNBA in steals. In 2023, she became the WNBA rebounding champion and produced one of the most statistically complete seasons of her career, averaging 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.9 assists. She was named to the All-WNBA First Team and the WNBA All-Defensive First Team.

Thomas remained with Connecticut through the 2024 season. Across her Sun tenure, she became known for triple-doubles, high-assist rebounding performances, defensive activity, and postseason durability. She played through shoulder limitations and maintained a distinctive shooting motion related to injuries in both shoulders.

On February 2, 2025, Thomas was traded to the Phoenix Mercury as part of a four-team transaction. In her first season with Phoenix, she averaged 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and a league-leading 9.2 assists. In August 2025, she recorded her third consecutive triple-double, setting a WNBA record. By that point, she was the WNBA's career leader in triple-doubles.

Thomas continued with Phoenix into the 2026 season. Through the provided 2026 regular-season data, she averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while listed as a forward for the Mercury.

Overseas, Thomas played for Bucheon KEB Hana Bank in South Korea, Yakin Dogu in Turkey, Yongin Samsung Blueminx in South Korea, USK Praha in the Czech Republic, Shanxi Flame in China, and Laces BC in Unrivaled. With USK Praha, she became a major EuroLeague contributor and was named EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.

Thomas represented the United States in several competitions. She won gold at the 2012 FIBA 3x3 World Championship, the 2022 FIBA World Cup, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. At the 2024 Olympics, she was part of the United States team that defeated France in the final and won the program's eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Alyssa Thomas plays forward for the Phoenix Mercury and Laces BC. She is primarily used as a power forward who functions as a rebounder, passer, defender, and offensive connector. Her skills include transition play, interior finishing, defensive anticipation, screening, ball movement, and creating assists from the frontcourt. She is also known for triple-double production and for impacting games without relying on three-point shooting.

Alyssa Thomas was born on April 12, 1992, in Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Bob Thomas and Tina Klotzbeecher-Thomas. Her family has a basketball background, and both of her parents played basketball at Millersville University. Her mother coached her during her youth basketball years and taught her to develop skills across multiple positions.

Thomas is the oldest of three siblings. Her younger brother, Devin Thomas, played basketball at Wake Forest and later played professionally in Europe. Her younger sister is named Alexia.

Thomas has been publicly known by the nickname “AT” and is also called “The Engine.” In February 2021, she and then Connecticut Sun teammate DeWanna Bonner shared that they were in a relationship. They became engaged in July 2023 and later became teammates again with the Phoenix Mercury.

Alyssa Thomas's legacy is based on statistical versatility, frontcourt playmaking, and sustained production across college, WNBA, overseas, and international basketball. At Maryland, she became the program's all-time leader in points, rebounds, and double-doubles, placing her among the most accomplished players in school history.

In the WNBA, Thomas became the league's career leader in triple-doubles and one of its most productive passing forwards. Her career includes All-WNBA selections, All-Defensive honors, a rebounding title, a steals title, an assists title, and multiple All-Star appearances.

Her international record includes gold medals with the United States at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games. Her overseas career added EuroLeague recognition, including Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. Together, these achievements identify Thomas as one of the leading all-around forwards of her era.

Thomas earned major recognition at Central Dauphin High School, where she became the program's all-time leading scorer. In 2010, she was named Parade Magazine First-Team All-American, USA Today All-USA Third Team, and Associated Press Pennsylvania Class 4A Player of the Year.

At Maryland, Thomas was named ACC Rookie of the Year and selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2011. She was a Second-Team All-ACC selection as a freshman and later became a three-time First-Team All-ACC selection from 2012 to 2014. She won ACC Player of the Year three consecutive times from 2012 through 2014 and was named ACC Tournament MVP in 2012. She was also named ACC Female Athlete of the Year in 2014.

Thomas received multiple national college honors, including WBCA Coaches' All-American recognition from 2012 to 2014, USBWA All-American honors from 2012 to 2014, AP First-Team All-American honors in 2012 and 2014, and AP Second-Team All-American honors in 2013. Maryland honored her jersey, and she finished her college career as the school's all-time leader in points, rebounds, and double-doubles.

In the WNBA, Thomas was named to the All-Rookie Team in 2014. She became a six-time WNBA All-Star in 2017, 2019, and 2022 through 2025. She earned All-WNBA Second Team honors in 2022 and All-WNBA First Team honors in 2023, 2024, and 2025. She was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team in 2020, 2023, and 2025, and to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2024.

Thomas led the WNBA in steals in 2020, rebounds in 2023, and assists in 2025. She was also a WNBA Peak Performer in 2023 and 2025. In overseas competition, she was named EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and selected to the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2022 and 2023.

Internationally, Thomas won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 FIBA 3x3 World Championship, the 2022 FIBA World Cup, and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Alyssa Thomas is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Laces BC of Unrivaled. Born on April 12, 1992, in Pennsylvania, Thomas played college basketball at the University of Maryland before entering the WNBA as the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft. She was drafted by the New York Liberty and immediately traded to the Connecticut Sun, where she spent the first eleven seasons of her WNBA career.

Thomas became one of the most statistically versatile players in women's basketball. At Maryland, she finished as the program's all-time leader in points, rebounds, and double-doubles. She also became one of the few players in NCAA women's basketball history to record six career triple-doubles. Her college career included three ACC Player of the Year awards, ACC Female Athlete of the Year recognition, and multiple All-American selections.

In the WNBA, Thomas developed into a forward known for rebounding, passing, defense, transition play, and triple-double production. She earned multiple WNBA All-Star selections, All-WNBA honors, and All-Defensive Team honors while playing for Connecticut. She became the WNBA's career leader in triple-doubles and, in 2025, recorded three consecutive triple-doubles, a league record.

Thomas joined the Phoenix Mercury in 2025 through a four-team trade. She also represented the United States internationally, winning gold medals at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Her professional career also includes overseas competition in South Korea, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and China, as well as participation in Unrivaled.