Women's Fastbreak On SI

2025 WNBA Free Agent Alyssa Thomas Puts Connecticut Sun on Blast Via Unrivaled Praise

Alyssa Thomas didn't mince words when comparing Unrivaled's facilities favorably to that of the Connecticut Sun.
Grant Young|
Oct 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) reacts during the second half of game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Oct 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (25) reacts during the second half of game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Before their WNBA playoffs series against the Indiana Fever in late September, the Connecticut Sun went viral because they were forced to share court space with a community center event.

This is because the Sun, who are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, don't have their own practice facility.

While this wasn't a secret, this community center event brought the Sun's lack of facilities to the women's basketball community's attention in a viral way. It also seemed to be a last straw of sorts for Alyssa Thomas, who is a perennial WNBA MVP contender and has played for Connecticut throughout her entire WNBA career, starting in 2014.

Thomas sent a stern message about this bizarre practice situation in a September 23 article from Gabby Alfveby of The Next Hoops by saying, “It’s normal at this point. I mean, Mohegan has to do better. We’re [a] professional team. We’re competing for playoffs. And yeah, to have to share your court with a two-year-old[‘s] birthday party, [it’s the] ultimate disrespect.

"We need more, we need better to compete at the highest level,” Thomas added.

Thomas, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason (although she'll most likely be cored by Connecticut), is taking part in the Unrivaled Women's Basketball League. And during her January 9 media availability session, she had some harsh words for her longtime franchise.

"I'm focused on Unrivaled right now. They have everything you possibly need here. They don't really have a lot of those things in Connecticut. I've been trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can," Thomas is quoted saying, per an X post from Sara Jane Gamelli.

She later added of Unrivaled, "The whole thing is impressive. They have top-of-the-line everything. Treating us the way we are supposed to be treated."

Regardless of whether she gets cored, perhaps Thomas will do the same thing Satou Sabally did with the Wings and tell the franchise she has played her final game for Connecticut.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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