Resolute players of a supreme caliber like Alyssa Thomas rarely go unnoticed in the WNBA. From being an overachieving basketball star for the Maryland Terrapins in the NCAA Division 1 to becoming ‘The engine’ of the Connecticut Sun, her journey inspires, entertains, and most importantly, her performance remains unwaveringly consistent. The fact that she leads the WNBA with the most triple-doubles ever should give you a good idea of who you’re reading about.

In August this year, ESPN made a short tribute video for the Sun legend and analyst Ari Chambers described Thomas as a player who “drips of opulence“. There couldn’t be a more apt and succinct description of the 6’2 Guard, who rakes in as much of the big bucks as the abundance of her talent – offense as well as defense.

Alyssa Thomas’ net worth & salary

Thomas was drafted 4th overall in 2014 by the New York Liberty. However, on draft day itself, they traded her, Kelsey Bone, and a 2015 first-round pick to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Tina Charles, who is now second on the WNBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard. Little did the Liberty know that the versatile monster they let go would become a 5x All-Star and lead the Sun’s all-time leaderboards for total rebounds, assists, field goals, and steals.

Thomas has spent her entire WNBA career with the Sun. In February 2021, she signed a 4-year, $836,000 extension with the Mohegan tribe-owned team. This lifted her average annual salary to $209,000. As per Sportrac, in 2024, she has hit the annual cap, earning $218,000. This makes her the highest-paid Connecticut Sun player.

With Thomas’ contract ending in 2024, she is a free agent for the upcoming season. However, the Sun will most likely re-sign her considering her all-round impact on the team. Moreover, she has led them to their 6th consecutive semifinals-or-beyond appearance in 2024. With the statistics speaking for her, let’s dive into what makes her one of the WNBA’s highest-paid athletes.

From resisting basketball to conquering the WNBA

Alyssa Thomas’ record-breaking basketball run began in high school. The Sun Guard attended the Central Dauphin High School and became the school’s all-time leading scorer, a feat she bettered in the University of Maryland, becoming the all-time rebounds leader for the Terrapins in addition to topping the all-time points chart. The Pennsylvania native scored in double figures in a record 86 out of her 96 college games.

Though Thomas never won an NCAA championship with the Terrapins, she was named ACC Player of the Year for three consecutive years in a row. Before being drafted in the WNBA in 2014, her college jersey was honored by the University of Maryland on March 2. But this isn’t how her 5-year-old self envisioned her life panning out.

The first time she played basketball was against her will. Her mother and first coach, Tina, signed her up to hoop when she was 5. As per Mama Thomas, Alyssa threw an “absolute hissy fit” when this happened. The Sun guard admitted to this, saying, “[I] Threw myself all down the stairs, down the hallway,” before laughing aloud. But once she surpassed this initial resistance, basketball changed her life. “It was like a whole new person that came out on the court as opposed to off the court,” her mother added.

Since then, Thomas has never looked back. Though she has always been reserved and never liked attention, her WNBA exploits made sure she gets all of it. During the course of her current contract, she has consistently maintained averages of 10+ points, 8+ rebounds, 6+ assists, and 1.5+ steals. Her adaptability has been such that she quickly switched her shooting arm from left to right after suffering labral tears that limited the range of her left arm. For someone who shot with her left arm since childhood, it was an impressive feat.

Even in 2021, though she sat out most of the season with an Achilles injury, her comeback year in 2022 witnessed more records. That season, she put up 4 triple-doubles, including WNBA’s first-ever playoffs triple-double, winning her the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

In 2023, she was named the WNBA Peak Performer and also set a record for most single-season assists (316) before Caitlin Clark broke it in 2024. Thomas is often referred to as the toughest player in the Connecticut Sun, and also the WNBA. Having played in South Korea, Turkey, and the Czech Republic during WNBA offseasons, Thomas’ global exposure has only added to her beyond-impressive career. She isn’t called ‘The Engine’ for no reason.