Former Arizona Wildcat Sam Thomas staying strong, ready for WNBA's next call

The last time Sam Thomas was in Tucson was in February.

She was on a break from playing with her team in Sardinia, Italy, and she spent some time in the Old Pueblo attending a few women’s basketball games, a softball game, as well as hitting up her favorite restaurants.

This week, Thomas was back again — this time to host her second "Sam Thomas Hoop Group" kids camp, which took place Saturday at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. She also hung out with friends who have become like family and stopped by a basketball fundamentals camp run by another pair of ex-Cats — Dee Dee Wheeler and Felecity Willis — on Friday morning.

Fresh off a flight from Las Vegas — she spent some time at the NBA Summer League — Thomas rolled in with two huge suitcases and a backpack before settling in to talk to the campers, compete in a free-throw shooting contest, sign autographs and take photos.

After plenty of hugs and smiles, Thomas took time to talk to the Star about life as a professional player on standby, how she stays in shape and what’s next. The conversation has been lightly edited.

You come home early from Italy to be ready for Phoenix Mercury training camp. What was it like going through that experience and being cut towards the end? Did you have any inkling that this could happen?

A: “Obviously, you're never sure but everyone was telling me overseas was really good for me. I look so much better; my shot is more consistent. I was with the first team the first week of training camp and one of the players had a really good training camp day. After that, (she) got a little bit more reps, more opportunity. I kind of saw it coming a little bit. I had time to prepare and it happens all the time. It’s not a big ‘oh my gosh!’ I think it was a couple days before final cuts had to be made and they called Jennie Simms and me up into the office. I had a feeling and I was like, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry. You’re going to be fine.’ Because I am a crier. I got through the meeting. They waived me. They were super nice. They said it’s just roster space. I was fine, gave them a hug, walked out of the meeting. Brittney (Griner) and Sophie (Cunningham) were outside waiting for me. They gave me a hug.

"That’s when I broke down and started crying. They're like, ‘We love you. If you need anything, let us know.’ That's really what got me — just knowing that I'm not going to be with them 24/7, that was the hard part. Not necessarily the getting cut, but you make friends and you're with each other, you go through so much.”

You get the call to be an injury replacement player on June 20, and you are at home in Las Vegas. What happens next?

A: “They call me around six o'clock, and I was on the way to a workout.

"I was like, ‘OK, we'll shoot, I didn't get a workout in.’ They called me, and we were going to play Vegas the next day at noon in Phoenix. I hopped on a flight at 10 o’clock at night, got there at around 11 and was there for the game the next day.

"I walked into the locker room and everyone’s like, ‘Sam!’” 

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Waiting to get a call from a team like the Mercury is standard operating procedure for the WNBA these days as there are just not enough spots available for players. Still, this is new for you. Is there anyone who has helped you through this time?

A: “My parents (Julie and Derek Thomas) are that support system. I always have them. I can always vent. I know I always have a place to go. That’s always going to be there. Jennie (Sims, a Mercury teammate) has helped me the most because she’s been through it all. Last year she was going in and out, in and out, while I was on the team having a different perspective.

Now, the roles are reversed. She's luckily on the team and I’m now going in (and)out, hopefully go back in. Keeping in touch with her, staying ready (and) watching the games for the plays, in case I need those. I’ve been leaning on her. She’s such a fun, positive person so I love having her and glad I met her.”

While you are waiting for the next call, you said that you’d been at NBA Summer League networking. What is your ultimate goal with this? What’s next for you after your playing career is over?

A: “I think I want to be involved with basketball still but I want to be more on (the) administrative side. I really like organizing things; I was thinking about director of (operations). I was talking to some scouts at the Summer League (and) the agency side — just really trying to get my feet everywhere that I can right now. So then when it is time and basketball is no longer playing-wise in my life, that I'll have things lined up."

Have you ever thought of player development, especially with putting on your camps?

A: “That's something that I'm interested in. I think right now I want to stick to younger kids rather than get into the college, business side of all that. I like player development, just teaching whether that's honestly basketball or just how to be a good human — well, if you can teach that.”

This is your second "Sam Thomas Hoop Group" kids camp, and you mentioned that you want to keep coming back to Tucson to put on these camps. Why Tucson?

A: “I love Tucson. I can't stay away. This place has literally shaped me into the person who I am today. I never thought in a million years that little kids would be saying I'm their favorite basketball player. I'm their idol. They love me. They watched all my years at Arizona. I never thought that would happen.

“Having that community throughout the whole five years, you really start to make friends and family with these people that are showing up every day for you — whether you win or lose you have a good game, bad game. I'm trying to do as much as I can to give back.

"Giving the kids of Tucson a place to go or resource if they want to make it to the league one day, play in college. They have a place where hopefully they can learn.”