Sam Thomas made a splash Friday night, scoring 25 points — 18 coming on 3-pointers — in the 10th-ranked Wildcats’ 76-64 win over Utah.
Now, Thomas is preparing to score off the court.
On Sunday, Thomas will launch a lifestyle brand and a partnership with former UA standout Danielle Adefeso, who owns HGHT, a clothing brand for NBA players. The Sam Thomas brand website, launching Sunday, will sell crop tops, basketball shorts, a T-shirt and a sweatsuit to start; more pieces will be added to the collection on a regular basis.
“Hopefully, when they think of the Sam Thomas brand, they just think of me and my smiling on the court, always trying to have a good time,” Thomas said Saturday.
Thomas and Adefeso met four years ago on a UA women’s basketball reunion weekend. Thomas, then a freshman, sat at Adefeso’s table and the two soon became friends. When Adefeso was contacted by the UA to work with a student-athlete following the passage of the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness rules, she asked to work with Thomas. The two have been working on the brand for months.
“Now we are just going to work, Arizona with Arizona,” Thomas said. “It’s with Danielle, someone I trust and an Arizona alum.”
Merchandise form Sam Thomas' new clothing line is laid out inside McKale Center during Sunday's photoshoot.
NIL allows athletes to sell and endorse products while in school, keeping the profits for themselves. As arguably the most recognizable athlete on campus, Thomas was a natural to make NIL money. Although, Thomas said: “I don’t want to do something just for NIL.”
“I really care about this,” Thomas said. “I think it’s great clothing. I think it’s a great way to connect with the fans. As weird as that sounds … I think it’s great for the fans. And it’s obviously just something fun for me to do, with a foot out into the clothing side of the world.”
Photographer Chris Richards, right, shows Sam Thomas some photos during Saturday's photoshoot for her new clothing line.
Thomas was heavily involved in the entire development process.
“It was really about what Sam wanted,” said Adefeso, a Joan Bonvicini-era center. “You should really understand what she likes, and she doesn’t like what color schemes are, so definitely a process to figure that out.”
There was a lot of back and forth until Thomas settled on the materials, colors and designs she liked.
Thomas isn’t just the brand’s namesake; she’s a model. On Saturday, Thomas took part in a photoshoot on campus while wearing the new clothes. She has support from Adefeso, who has been working in apparel for 18 years — albeit mostly with men’s clothes.
“We’re starting with the crop top, which I really love because usually men don’t wear crop tops, so it was my first crop top I’m doing,” Adefeso laughed.
Thomas’ brand will eventually include basketball clinics and more. It’s designed for the long-haul, not just as a revenue stream.
“It doesn’t feel like a deal; it feels like it was meant to be,” Adefeso said. “I think she has a good energy about her and it’s genuine. I have been removed from the game and UA for so long; talking to her brings it back to why we love sports and basketball because even though we’re generations apart, it’s like the love language — basketball. …
“We get each other just because we play basketball. That’s what made her special to me is that she connected me back to why I love UA and I love Tucson. Talking to her and her energy is like we’ve been friends like I’ve known her since I was there.
“I think she lives in a way where she’s happy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Zoom call with her where she’s not smiling. She has a unique energy about her. And then on top of it, she’s very intelligent. When you talk to her, you are like, ‘I have to have my p’s and q’s, I have to have my agenda ready, and I have to keep up.’ It makes me more engaged because she is engaged. I think we have good chemistry and bounce ideas off each other. It just works. I think she’s passionate about everything she does, and it shows.”
Sam Thomas scored a season-high 25 points in Friday night's win over Utah.
Adefeso’s involvement with Thomas’ brand isn’t limited to the clothing line. Adefeso will work as an advocate for NIL endorsement deals going forward.
“It’s a partnership; we’re trying to build a business,” Adefeso said. “It’s bigger than the clothing. It’s a movement or lifestyle. She’s so cool, on and off the court, I would say that it’s like you are part of her team or her squad or her movement of doing good in the world, because that’s what she is.”
No. 10 Arizona 76, Utah 64
UTAH (9-5)
Johnson 1-6 1-2 3, McFarland 5-7 2-2 12, Gylten 1-5 0-0 2, Kneepkens 4-8 5-5 15, McQueen 1-3 0-0 2, Young 3-6 2-4 9, Maxwell 4-8 3-3 13, Palmer 0-0 0-0 0, Rees 3-3 0-0 6, Vieira 0-1 2-4 2, Team 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 22-47 15-20 64
ARIZONA (13-2)
Reese 6-12 2-2 14, Thomas 7-11 5-5 25, Ware 2-6 3-4 7, Pellington 3-8 2-6 9, Yeaney 1-4 2-2 4, Copeland 0-1 0-0 0, Love 4-8 0-0 8, Chavez 0-0 0-0 0, Conner 2-2 1-2 7, Pueyo 1-4 0-0 2, Sanchez 0-0 0-0 0, Team 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 26-56 15-21 76
Utah 17 9 17 21 — 64
Arizona 15 26 13 22 — 76
3-Point Goals—Utah 5-16 (Johnson 0-1, Gylten 0-1, Kneepkens 2-4, McQueen 0-2, Young 1-3, Maxwell 2-5), Arizona 9-21 (Reese 0-4, Thomas 6-9, Ware 0-2, Pellington 1-2, Yeaney 0-1, Conner 2-2, Pueyo 0-1).
Assists—Utah 13 (Gylten 6), Arizona 15 (Pueyo 4).
Fouled Out—None. Rebounds_Utah 34 (Kneepkens 6, McFarland 6), Arizona 24 (Ware 7).
Total Fouls—Utah 21, Arizona 21.
Technical Fouls—None.
A—7,099.
