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Alyssa Thomas was officailly introduced as a Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday afternoon, after spending the first 11 years of her WNBA career as a Connecticut Sun. In attendance was her newest teammate, Satou Sabally, who else made the move away from the organization that drafted her, the Dallas Wings, in hopes of building something in Phoenix.
Sabally had the first question, jestfully asking the WNBA’s All-Time triple-double leader: “How many triple-doubles can I expect from you this season?”
Thomas chuckled, joking it was up to Sabally to make her shots.
“The Engine”, as she’s often been called, will always make the passes.
Thomas’s introduction marked the dawn of a new era in Phoenix. Thomas, Sabally, and returning Mercury star Kahleah Copper will form a new Big Three in Phoenix. Guards Sami Whitcomb and Sevgi Uzun, forward Natasha Mack, and center Kalani Brown will likely help round out the rotation. Brittney Griner is no longer with the organization after opting to join the Atlanta Dream in the offseason. The future of Diana Taurasi remains uncertain.
Thomas is one of the new faces of the franchise, if not the face, and, in order to be in Phoenix in person for the formal introduction, Thomas flew from Miami, where she’s currently playing in the new professional women’s 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled.
Here’s what Alyssa Thomas had to say in her introductory press conference.
Alyssa Thomas is pursuing her first WNBA championship
Though she’s reached the WNBA Finals and consistently played for some of the winningest teams in the league, Alyssa Thomas has yet to reach the mountaintop and actually secure a WNBA championship.
In Phoenix, she hopes that will change.
“I’m super excited to be here with this group,” Thomas said. “We all come from different backgrounds, different winning backgrounds, and now we get a chance to be together and accomplish something different. It’s time to get back to playoffs, and I’m still chasing the championship, so just excited to be a part of this group.”
DeWanna Bonner gushed about the Mercury fanbase
Thomas’s fiance, DeWanna Bonner, spent the first decade of her WNBA career in Phoenix, winning two championships and averaging double-figures every season. Bonner won’t be returning to Phoenix alongside her partner — she decided to take her talents to Indiana — but she did play a role in helping Thomas to learn about the franchise she ultimately opted to join.
“She spoke so highly of this organization,” Thomas said. “She spent 10 years here. She knows so much about the area, so I’ve gotten a crash course about this organization. She speaks so highly of the fanbase and all the people here. I’m really excited to experience it.”
Many speculated that Thomas’s move to Phoenix signaled that Bonner, also a free agent, would follow suit. But, in her introductory press conference, Thomas said that she and Bonner were never going to base their free agency decisions on one another.
“We’re both two different players,” she said. “We approached this free agency as ‘we both have our own careers.’ Her decision was her decision, and mine was mine. And either way, we support each other to the fullest.”
Thomas will bring a similar mindset to Phoenix as she did in Connecticut
Alyssa Thomas has been a perennial MVP candidate. Last season, she averaged 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.6 steals, while also anchoring one of the league’s best defenses.
“I don’t think I’m going to be any different,” Thomas said when asked about what her mindset will be as she begins a new chapter in Phoenix. “I’m going to bring my competitive spirit, offensively and defensively. The biggest thing is — I like to help my teammates and get them easy shots. So, I expect to get Kah [Kahleah Copper] and Satou [Sabally] a lot of easy shots.”
Copper and Sabally, surefire stars in their own right, have no trouble generating their own offense. But, they’ve yet to play with as versatile a playmaker as Thomas, and, as such, they could easily elevate their game to new heights.
“Defensively, I think we’re so versatile that we can get after it and guard people in a lot of different ways,” Thomas said. “And offensively, the floor is going to be so spaced. It’s going to be a lot of fun just to be able to push tempo and be surrounded by so many great players, so many shooters. So I think, really, the sky’s the limit for us, and I hope people are estimating us, because we’re gonna we’re gonna be a really tough team to beat.
Thomas hopes to leave a lasting legacy in Phoenix
Many great players have suited up for the Mercury over the years, headlined by none other than Diana Taurasi, who spent 20 years with the organization and is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. The Mercury have won three championships — in 2007, 2009, and 2015 — all under Taurasi’s leadership.
The deep-rooted winning culture is one that appealed to Thomas.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why I came here, just the history of the Mercury and how they’ve won over the years,” she said. “Players like Diana [Taurasi], BG [Brittney Griner], even DB [DeWanna Bonner], they’ve done great things for this organization.”
At 32 years old, Thomas feels like she has plenty of more high-level basketball in her future.
“I don’t plan to be any different than that I’ve been in my past team in Connecticut,” she said. “I’m trying to win. I don’t want to drop off. I want to continue to play at the same level, be in playoffs, and the goal is a championship.”
