Tag: Alyssa

  • Report: Alyssa Thomas Traded to Mercury from Sun; 5-Time WNBA All-Star | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors


    MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 08: Alyssa Thomas #25 of the Connecticut Sun dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Lynx in the third quarter of Game Five of the Semi-Finals during the WNBA Playoffs at Target Center on October 08, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lynx defeated the Sun 88-77. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

    David Berding/Getty Images

    The Connecticut Sun are finalizing a sign-and-trade to acquire star forward Alyssa Thomas from the Phoenix Mercury, ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported Tuesday.

    Bleacher Report @BleacherReport

    Breaking: Mercury are acquiring Alyssa Thomas from the Sun, per <a href=”https://twitter.com/alexaphilippou?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@alexaphilippou</a><br><br>The 5x All-Star is heading to the Desert <a href=”https://t.co/W1hMtsObtf”>pic.twitter.com/W1hMtsObtf</a>

    The transaction cannot be finalized until Feb. 1, per Philippou.

    The Sun had exclusive negotiating rights with Thomas after tagging her with a core designation to stop her hitting unrestricted free agency this offseason.

    Thomas, who has finished the last three seasons as an All-Star and MVP finalist, is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year runner-up. She helped the Sun reach the WNBA Finals in 2019 and 2022.

    This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.





    In a blockbuster trade, the Phoenix Mercury have acquired five-time WNBA All-Star Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun. Thomas, a versatile forward known for her tenacity and defensive prowess, will bring a new dynamic to the Mercury’s lineup.

    The trade, which also involved draft picks and other players, signals a significant shift in the landscape of the WNBA. Thomas, who has been a key player for the Sun for several seasons, will now have the opportunity to make an impact with a new team.

    Fans can expect to see Thomas make an immediate impact with the Mercury, as she joins a talented roster that includes stars such as Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. With Thomas’s addition, the Mercury are poised to be a formidable force in the upcoming WNBA season.

    Stay tuned for more updates on this trade and other WNBA news, scores, highlights, stats, and rumors. The upcoming season promises to be an exciting one, with plenty of surprises and standout performances from the league’s top players.

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    Alyssa Thomas, Mercury, Sun, WNBA, trade, All-Star, basketball, report, news, scores, highlights, stats, rumors

    #Report #Alyssa #Thomas #Traded #Mercury #Sun #5Time #WNBA #AllStar #News #Scores #Highlights #Stats #Rumors

  • Analyst believes Alyssa Thomas’ core designation could affect fiancee DeWanna Bonner’s future 


    With the WNBA free agency now in full swing, the Connecticut Sun wasted no time in giving Alyssa Thomas a core-player designation, essentially allowing the franchise to make her a restricted free agent. As WNBA reporter Madeline Kenney wrote in an article for the New York Post on Monday, however, the fact that the Sun cored Thomas could have an impact on her fiancée, DeWanna Bonner.

    Because the franchise now has a chance to hold on to Thomas through the WNBA free agency, they could also end up retaining Bonner. As Kenney wrote in an article for The Post, the fact that the team might keep Thomas could indicate that Bonner will stay with the Sun as well.

    At 38 years old, Bonner, a two-time WNBA champion and six-time All-Star, is certainly on the tail-end of her career. However, she has continued to show her dominance year after year.

    In addition to playing all 40 games in back-to-back seasons, Bonner is still producing at a rate consistent with her career points per game average of 14.9, averaging 17.4 in 2023 and 15.0 in 2024.

    Given that, as the Sun looks to win their first title in franchise history, retaining both Thomas and Bonner through the WNBA free agency period would certainly be a big plus for the team.

    Could Alyssa Thomas wind up parting ways with the Sun despite core-player designation in WNBA Free Agency?

    The WNBA’s core player designation means that teams around the league can essentially mark certain players as restricted free agents, however, that doesn’t mean that Thomas will be with the Sun to start the 2025 WNBA season.

    The WNBA’s core-player designation allows the Sun to cut out other teams by offering Thomas a one-year supermax contract.

    Although the two sides could use that as an opportunity to negotiate a long-term deal, with the WNBA expected to finalize a new CBA before the 2026 season, Thomas and plenty of other players are targeting one-year deals.

    Because of that, the two options seem to be either the Sun hold on to Thomas, or after receiving her core-player designation to kick off the WNBA Free Agency, she requests a trade.

    Although she hasn’t done so, last season Thomas notably expressed frustration over the fact that the Sun doesn’t have a dedicated practice facility. Back in September, before their first playoff game with the Indiana Fever, the team was practicing at a community rec center.

    Given that, Thomas’s expressed frustration could be an indication that she may not want to stick around in Connecticut this season.