SYDNEY – A true warrior always answers when the bell rings. In this case, for Alyssa Thomas, it was a phone call from USA Women’s National Team Head Coach Cheryl Reeve.
“I really wasn’t thinking about playing,” said Thomas after almost achieving a triple double during a 88-55 FIBA Women’s World Cup quarterfinal win.
“Honestly, I really didn’t have any intentions of playing of ever playing USA Basketball again,” said Thomas who finished with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. “I basically took my name out of the hat. Anytime the National team breaks were happening, that’s really my only break only break in the season. Coach Reeve actually reached out to me to come back in and really gave me the vision of what she had for this team, and it was a no brainer.”
“I just think she’s a great player,” said USA Women’s National team head coach Cheryl Reeve who is also the Head Coach of the WNBA Minnesota Lynx. “I remember talking to folks on the Committee, and I said ‘what about Alyssa Thomas?’ So, I picked up the phone and said things are different now, there’s a really opportunity for you to be an impactful player for us. And she trusted me and that’s obviously turned out pretty well.”
Thomas’ journey to being on the USA Women’s National Team here was never assured as the spots on the prior World Cup and Olympic teams to break onto a USAWNT roster spot, especially for rival former Maryland Terp players (most notable Crystal Langhorne 2004-2008) as many of the slots were held by former UConn players under two-time Olympic Coach Geno Auriemma from 2010 to 2016 until (South Carolina Head Coach, pro and USAWNT legend) Dawn Staley took over for the 2017-21 Tokyo run where Reeve was an assistant coach.
This time both (2010-2014) Alyssa Thomas and former (2013-2017) Terp Brionna Jones (averaging 13 points in six games) are an integral part of the USA National Team plans.
Serbia’s game plan to not let the USA get points in the paint as they did against Korea (90 points) and to be very physical which gave them a 4-0 lead but only trailing the Americans 25-23 at the end of the first quarter. A switch in some assignments and more focus on defense shut down Serbia in the second quarter to 10 points as the USA jumped to a 50-33 halftime lead and never looked back.
“Alyssa scored, rebounded, got the extra possession on offense, defensively she’s hard to play against, a near triple-double,” explained Reeve. “She’s been such a part of our identity defensively. I can’t say enough about her value. I know it playing against them in Connecticut (WNBA Sun) and that’s a player I am excited that she wanted to be part of USA Basketball this go around.”
NOTES: Kelsey Plum lead the USA with 17 points while A’ja Wilson put in another stellar performance with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
It will be a North America semifinal with the USA (6-0) will face Canada (5-1) who beat Puerto Rico in the QF 79-60 in the Semi-finals tomorrow. The other side of the bracket will have the winner of France (3-2) vs. China (4-1) playing Australia (5-1) in the other later semi.
“If you have to lose to someone, and if you lose to someone who crushes you totally, then I would say it’s better for it to be the USA than someone some other team,” Serbian Head Coach Marina Maljkovic. “Overall, I can not be satisfied with this World Cup when it began with a very young and inexperienced team. These players are already today better than they were, so much better after this World Cup series.”
