Sam Thomas’ WNBA arrival came with a huge assist

Phoenix rookie Sam Thomas (14) has played in 12 of the Mercury’s first 20 games.

Photo courtesy: Trisha LaCoste, Franchise Sports Media

By W.G. Ramirez

LAS VEGAS -- Sam Thomas is in the WNBA on her own laurels, make no mistake about it.

But she couldn't have asked for a better chauffeur to training camp than the person commonly referred to as the GOAT.

"I may have had something to do with that," Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi said with a coy chuckle as she was leaving Michelob Ultra Arena after the Mercury played the Las Vegas Aces earlier this season.

Taurasi first saw Thomas as a freshman starring for the University of Arizona five years earlier. So when Thomas went undrafted on April 11, Taurasi suggested to the organization it strongly consider taking a look at the former Centennial High School star.

"I was there with a couple of friends, and I said, 'that kid's a pro,'" Taurasi said. "I had never seen her play before. There was just a demeanor about her, a presence about her, and that's not even to mention how skilled and how ferocious she is on the court."

Ferocious, as in she's brought her menacing ways on defense from the college ranks to the WNBA.

Thomas, who ended her career at Arizona with 1,382 points, 630 rebounds, 266 assists, 198 blocks and 264 steals, finished her career as the active leader in career steals in the Pac-12 while starting in all 154 games she played in. She finished in the top 10 in school history in points, 3-pointers, 3-point shooting percentage, blocks and steals.

It was no surprise considering she played under one of the nation's best head coaches in Karen Weitz, before thriving in a pro system under Arizona coach Adia Barnes, who employed an offense that was fueled by sharpshooters who could generate off pick-and-rolls and who were able to efficiently read defenses on the fly.

"I'm fortunate as a coach to have that foundation for her," Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard said. "She's been great and she's always extremely delightful and a real leader with how she carries herself."

Sort of like a certain GOAT she's able to play alongside and learn from, giving Thomas an opportunity to showcase her talent and extremely high basketball IQ.

"I think after the second day of practice I went up to Sam and was like 'it feels like you've been here for like five years,'" Taurasi said. "Her transition was seamless to a new offense, new defensive scheme, and that's when you know a player's into with what a team is trying to do. And she picked everything up from Day 1."

TEAM THOMAS

For Derek and Julie Thomas, they couldn't have scripted a better situation for their daughter.

After becoming an all-time favorite in Tucson, starring for the Wildcats in college, playing for the Mercury in nearby Phoenix and being mentored by Taurasi provided a sense of comfortability as Thomas' pro career began.

"The people in this region appreciate what she’s done through her high school and college career, and it gives her comfort to know that if I need some of my family there, people I know in Arizona are there for me, so it's worked out perfect," Derek Thomas said. "It’s just so nice to see her be able to make this level and accomplishment of all the things she done. So I'm just happy to watch her go through her journey."

A journey that has been bolstered by the best teacher Sam Thomas could ask for.

"She's amazing, she's obviously the GOAT," Thomas said of Taurasi. "It's just nice because she's been in the league for so long, so she kind of knows every feeling that you're going through. She's been through it all. So, if I'm nervous before a game or something like that, she'll just calm me down and tell me what to do. She's like, 'you belong here, just do your job and you'll be fine. You’ll have a long career in this league if you do that.' So just listening to her is awesome."

The Thomas family members were sporting their Phoenix gear during the Mercury's recent visits to Las Vegas, there to support their favorite rookie, regardless of her limited playing time.

Thomas played in 12 of Phoenix's first 20 games. On May 29 in Atlanta, she played a season-high 21 minutes, 38 seconds, and registered her first career points.

"She doesn't have to be the star," Nygaard said.

Not now, when the important thing is being a sponge and absorbing all she can.

SOAKING IT IN

Forget the fact she averages the fewest minutes per game with Phoenix (5.2 as of June 30), for now, the most important thing for Thomas is soaking up the opportunity she's been afforded.

After her stellar career at Arizona, where she was truly the heartbeat for the Wildcats during their transition from the Pac 12 cellar to making the 2021 NCAA Championship game, she brought a wealth of confidence to the next level. It's an attribute many rookies need to find while establishing an identity.

As Taurasi said, though, Thomas stepped into Phoenix's training camp knowing what she was capable thanks to a foundation that started under Weitz and continued under Barnes.

"There's only 144 spots and some people don't even keep 12 ... so when I was called up I was just like, 'I'm just gonna make the most opportunity at this' and then I ended up making the team," said Thomas, who became the first undrafted Arizona player to make a WNBA roster since 1997. "So I just kind of built the confidence that I worked so hard my whole life to do the little things. You know, I wasn't the leading scorer every game, but I was doing the little things that mattered just to show that it works here and got me on this team."

For Nygaard, she's said Thomas' transition to the W has been seamless much in part to her work ethic.

"Sam's been a really great pro," Nygaard said. "She's really come in every day to work really hard, absorbs a lot of very experienced vets. So she's learned a lot and really paid attention to the things that they're teaching her."

She made her presence knowing immediately, scoring nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range in the preseason opener against the Seattle Storm.

Now, it's her presence a legend has appreciated while providing mentorship along the way.

"Our first preseason game she hit two 3s and hit two people with a smile, and I go 'oh I like her,'" Taurasi said. "She does it all with a smile. And she's a great kid. You could tell she comes from a great family, she's an ultimate teammate, and those are the things that'll keep her in this league for a long, long time."