Sam Thomas was determined to continue her career in the WNBA and overseas.
Starting every possible game with Arizona in her career from 2017-18 to this season — an incredible 127 games — Thomas is one who can meet her challenges.
“I will still be playing basketball (hopefully) so it’s not my career ending that I am sad about,” Thomas wrote in her “Sam’s Corner” column after Arizona’s season came to an end in March. “It’s my team and these fans and the excitement of a gameday, leading up to tip off.”
She will live that thrill now in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury when the regular season starts Friday against the Las Vegas Aces in the Footprint Center at Phoenix.
Thomas has earned a spot on the Mercury’s regular-season roster following a successful training camp.
Thomas and the Mercury tweeted the news on Thursday with an additional anouncment by Thomas that she is also completing her last day of graduate school at Arizona on Friday.
Last day of Grad School ✅
First day of WNBA tomorrow
📍Footprint Center
⏰ 7pm#4TheValley— Sam Thomas (@s_thomas14) May 6, 2022
The roster is set. We’re doing this #4TheValley pic.twitter.com/cL5mKdUwXW
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) May 6, 2022
Thomas will join former Arizona teammate Aari McDonald on the WNBA’s opening game rosters. McDonald is entering her second year with the Atlanta Dream after she was a first-round draft pick (third overall) last year.
With Thomas and McDonald on WNBA rosters, it is the first time since the 2003 season that more than one Arizona player was in the professional league at the same time.
Adia Barnes, the coach of Thomas and McDonald at Arizona, and Elizabeth Pickney, Tatum Brown and Felecity Willis were in the WNBA at the same time in 2003 — Barnes with the Seattle Storm, Pickney with the Mercury and Brown and Willis with the Washington Mystics.
Arizona’s WNBA Draft Picks
Adia Barnes (1995-98)
Sacramento Monarchs (Round 4, Pick 33) – 1998
Sacramento Monarchs (1998)
Minnesota Lynx (1999-00)
Cleveland Rockers (2000-01)
Seattle Storm (2002-04)
Marte Alexander (1995-98)
Los Angeles Sparks (Round 3, Pick 47) – 2000
Los Angeles Sparks (2000)
Charlotte Sting (2001)
Reshea Bristol (1998-2001)
Charlotte Sting (Round 4, Pick 50) – 2001
Charlotte Sting (2001)
LaKeisha Taylor (1999-2002)
Indiana Fever (Round 4, Pick 49) – 2002
Indiana Fever (2002)
Elizabeth Pickney (1999-2002)
Sacramento Monarchs (Round 4, Pick 60) – 2002
Sacramento Monarchs (2002)
Phoenix Mercury (2003)
Dee-Dee Wheeler (2000-05)
Los Angeles Sparks (Round 2, Pick 26) – 2005
Los Angeles Sparks (2005)
Ify Ibekwe (2007-11)
Seattle Storm (Round 2, Pick 24) – 2011
Seattle Storm (2011)
Los Angeles Sparks (2017)
Davellyn Whyte (2009-13)
San Antonio Silver Stars (Round 2, Pick 16) – 2013
San Antonio Stars (2013)
Aari McDonald (2017-21)
Atlanta Dream (Round 1, Pick 3) – 2021
Atlanta Dream (2021-present)
Undrafted players
Tatum Brown (1999-2000)
Cleveland Rockers (2002)
Washington Mystics (2003)
Margo Clark (1991-93)
Sacramento Monarchs (1997)
Bonnie Dove (1993-94)
Cleveland Rockers (1997 & 2001)
Angela Lackey (1999-2000)
Charlotte Sting (2002)
DeAngela Minter (1995-98)
Detroit Shock (1998)
Felecity Willis (1997-2000)
Los Angeles Sparks (2000)
Charlotte Sting (2001)
Washington Mystics (2003)
Sam Thomas (2017-22)
Phoenix Mercury (2022)
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