The long-anticipated move finally happened; on Tuesday, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported Thomas would being traded to the Phoenix Mercury along with guard Tyasha Harris. In return, the Sun will receive guards Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen and the 2025 No. 12 pick from the Mercury.
Thomas has spent her entire career in Connecticut and has proven herself to be an MVP-caliber player. She will go down as one of the best players to ever play for the Sun with the long list of accomplishments she has accumulated, including leading the Sun to six consecutive semifinals and two Finals appearances in 2019 and 2022.
She is a five-time All-Star who has earned All-Defensive honors six times. She’s also an Olympic gold medalist, after winning the 2024 Olympic women’s basketball tournament with the U.S. women’s national team.
Thomas is also a triple-double threat, having recorded the most triple doubles in WNBA history with 15 and counting.
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Although Connecticut has been home for Thomas for a long time, she has expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of resources the franchise provides for its players. This summer, Thomas was disappointed that the Sun had to share their practice court with a two-year-olds birthday party during the playoffs.
“It’s normal at this point. I mean, Mohegan has to do better,” Thomas told The Next before their first playoff game. “We’re [a] professional team. We’re competing for playoffs. And yeah, to have to share your court with a two-year-old[‘s] birthday party, [it’s the] ultimate disrespect. … We need more, we need better to compete at the highest level.”
Notably, Sun forward DeWanna Bonner, who is also Thomas’s fiancé, spent most of her career in Phoenix before being traded to Connecticut in 2020. There is a possibility that Bonner will try to leave as well, but there is no further information at this time.
Additionally, Allen is familiar with the Sun, having played there before. Most recently, she spent some time with the franchise after being traded to Connecticut in a three-team trade with the New York Liberty and the Dallas Wings in January of 2023.
Allen appeared in 40 regular season games and started in 27 for Connecticut in 2023. She averaged 6.4 points and 2.8 rebounds and led the team in blocks per game with a career high 1.3. Allen was then traded to the Phoenix Mercury on a sign-and-trade deal in Feb. 2024, a deal which sent guard Moriah Jefferson to the Sun.
What does this mean for the Sun?
Alyssa Thomas was nicknamed “The Engine” during her time with the Sun, as she always kept the team running and offered leadership as a veteran player. If Bonner stays with the Sun, she would most likely take on even more of a leadership role than she already has with the team.
Harris was a clutch player for the Sun and her three-point shots rescued them various times. Most recently, she helped the Sun force a Game 5 in the 2024 WNBA playoff semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx. Harris’s three-pointer late in the fourth quarter kept the momentum in Connecticut’s favor.
However, Connecticut has some young talent and the potential to build something new with a different looking team. With a brand-new head coach in Rachid Meziane, the franchise is going to have to find their footing again when the season begins.
The Sun could still see more movement within their roster this offseason with the free agency period still active. Players were able to begin negotiating with teams on Jan. 21, but contracts can not be signed and made official until Feb. 1.
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