Alyssa Thomas and the Importance of Basketball Literacy Among Fans

Alyssa Thomas is what I would consider a very polarizing figure in the WNBA. Thomas falls into that “you either hate her or you love her” category, which I believe to be accurate. Much of the criticism she receives seems to stem from her being a misunderstood player, as well as from many individuals simply not understanding the game of basketball. You could place a lot of athletes in the misunderstood category, because outside of their fans, many people do not keep up daily with every player across the various leagues being discussed. Many of us use social media, and as you may know, detractors of a player or team are almost always louder than the supporters.

I’ve witnessed nothing but respect for Alyssa Thomas from current players, former players, coaches, and longtime WBB media members. There was an uptick in new fans this past season with the arrival of one of the most stacked WNBA draft classes of all time. With that has come a lot of positives and negatives. I’ve seen Alyssa Thomas, among other players, labeled as a bully and a racist, which are obviously not accurate descriptions of her. Despite these criticisms, I find that the most damning critique of her as a basketball player is that she’s “useless” or that people ask, “What does she even do?” I don’t want to simply tell those who think that they just don’t understand the game, even if that may be true in my mind. While that would be the simplistic way to put it, a more nuanced conversation is sometimes necessary.

I want to quickly circle back to how well-respected Alyssa Thomas is among her peers. You will be very hard-pressed to find any current or former teammates, coaches, or others who have a single bad thing to say about her as a person or player. So why is there a disconnect with some fans? Of course, not everyone will like you or your style of basketball, but when there are usually nonsensical reasons behind their opinions, it’s fair to chalk it up to simply not understanding the game. Would their response to her be different if she played for their favorite team? Or perhaps if Alyssa Thomas played for a team they were more in favor of?

Alyssa Thomas has two torn labrums and has previously torn her ACL as well. Despite these injuries, and essentially playing with limited arm function, she remains a top 10 player in the WNBA. She leads the entire league all-time in triple-doubles, which includes both regular and postseason games. She has finished multiple times in the top 5 for MVP voting, received numerous All-Star selections, and earned first and second team honors, as well as making finals appearances. She is so accomplished that I could spend all day listing her achievements, but the point is that for a player whom some question by asking, “What does she even do?” on a basketball court, her resume is quite impressive. The kicker, however, is that Alyssa Thomas doesn’t care about statistics. This has been confirmed by multiple accounts from numerous past and present teammates and coaches who have stated this about her unprovoked and unprompted.

Alyssa Thomas is the ultimate team player. She does whatever needs to be done to win games. Sometimes that means stuffing the stat sheet, but it can also involve playing exceptional defense while not scoring much, or contributing in ways that don’t show up in the box score. Context always matters. She has averaged nearly a triple-double for the past two seasons. You do not put up those kinds of statistics consistently without being an exceptional player with a deep knowledge of the game and understanding and being able to quickly breakdown the numerous amounts of different situations and quick decisions that need to be made that come about throughout the course of a game. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to the WNBA and its fanbase; we live in a world where many fans focus solely on points per game or assists per game, while entirely ignoring the defensive side of the game. Alyssa Thomas’s stats may not typically wow you, but if you actually watch her play, you’ll see an assassin methodically controlling the game and doing all the right things to help her team succeed on both ends of the court. It’s an eye test that some will not pass. Moreover, you need to genuinely watch her to understand her game, but it’s often easier for individuals on social media to comment on a player or team they don’t actually follow, merely to repeat talking points that are usually inaccurate (Arike Ogunbowale is a prime example of this). Unfortunately, being loud — and wrong — often prevails in the social media environment.

The tendency of some of Alyssa Thomas’s detractors to dismiss her abilities and the game of basketball in general by claiming she is “bad” or “not a top player” is quite surprising. If you watch Alyssa Thomas play and come to any conclusion other than that she is one of the most unselfish players in the world and one of the best in the league — someone that any team, player, or fan would appreciate having on their roster — then it raises questions about what you are actually observing.