Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas appears to be looking forward to the WNBA's free agency period — and this could be excellent news for the Valkyries.
WNBA reporter Sara Jane Gamelli tweeted Thursday that Thomas told reporters she's learning a lot from her experience in Unrivaled (and the teams haven't even played games yet). As Thomas put it, "I'm focused on Unrivaled right now. They have everything you possibly need here. They don't really have a lot of those things in Connecticut. I've been trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can."
Alyssa Thomas on free agency:
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) January 9, 2025
"I'm focused on Unrivaled right now. They have everything you possibly need here. They don't really have a lot of those things in Connecticut. It's been trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can."
Thomas has been a top-five finisher in the MVP race three years in a row and was second in the league in assists per game in 2023 and 2024. She's a formidable athlete on the court and has been a major reason why the Sun have continued to make the semifinals six years in a row.
She's also previously expressed unhappiness with her team. After the Sun had to share their court with a two-year-old's birthday party during their first playoff practice, Thomas blasted the situation as "ultimate disrespect."
"It’s normal at this point. I mean, Mohegan [Sun Arena] has to do better," she told The Next. "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."
In August Thomas also said her experiences on Team USA made her see the Sun's reality in a different light. "I think one thing with playing on Team USA and being around other players that are in [WNBA] markets that are the staple of what you want your organization to be in, [it shows that] honestly Connecticut is super behind when it comes to that," she told reporters.
"And I’ve been here 11 years and yes, we’ve made changes, but a lot of things still have so much room for improvement," Thomas added. "And women’s basketball is hot right now and so many people want to support what we’re doing, and I think going to Boston is a huge step to a market that is bigger."
Thomas added that she would love for the team to have their own practice facility. To date, five WNBA teams have their own practice facilities: the Fever, the Valkyries, the Aces, the Storm, and the Mercury. The Liberty use the practice facility at Barclay's, which allows the team to use the same lockers at practice and at games.