Thomas, who finished top five in MVP voting the last three seasons, has spent her entire career in Connecticut
Thomas, who finished top five in MVP voting the last three seasons, has spent her entire career in Connecticut
The Phoenix Mercury are set to acquire five-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun in a blockbuster trade, according to Alexa Philippou. At this time, further details regarding the deal are unclear, including what the Sun will get in return.
Thomas, who has finished top five in MVP voting each of the last three seasons, was cored by the Sun earlier in the offseason. That granted the Sun exclusive negotiating rights, and as such this will be a sign-and-trade deal that cannot become official until Feb. 1, when the league’s moratorium is lifted.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, Thomas has spent her entire career with the Sun. Along the way she helped turn the team into a perennial contender and led them to Finals appearances in 2019 and 2023, though they fell short on both occasions.
Thomas’ departure likely marks the start of a complete rebuild for the Sun, who only have four players under contract for the 2025 season and recently hired the relatively unknown — at least in the United States — Frenchman Rachid Meziane as their new coach after Stephanie White left for the Indiana Fever. With Thomas gone, it’s hard to imagine other key veteran free agents, including DeWanna Bonner (Thomas’ fiancée) and Brionna Jones, sticking around.
For the Mercury, Thomas’ arrival gives them the perfect leader for coach Nate Tibbetts’ space-and-pace system. While Thomas herself is not a shooter, her ability to push the pace, get downhill and create for others should make their offense more consistent. Furthermore, she’s a defensive anchor who will immediately make them better on the other side of the ball.
The Mercury’s acquisition of Thomas also now makes it extremely unlikely Brittney Griner will be back in Phoenix. Earlier this month, Griner’s agent confirmed the 10-time All-Star was exploring free agency for the first time, and the fit with Thomas simply wouldn’t make any sense.