Player Review: Jasmine Thomas

The 2014 season was an up-and-down season for Jasmine Thomas, filled with both highs and lows. The fourth-year guard from Duke, in her second season with the Dream, improved some facets of her game and demonstrated that she can play a valuable role, but still also has areas where she can improve further.

Coming off a season when she started 29 of 34 games for the Dream in 2013, there was no certainty that Thomas would maintain her spot in the starting lineup in 2014, with the additions of free agent C�line Dumerc and first-round draft pick Shoni Schimmel during the offseason. But with Dumerc late to arrive to the U.S. and Schimmel still getting adjusted to the WNBA, Thomas resumed her role as the starting point guard as the season began, and had a number of fine performances.

She matched a career high with 17 points May 25 vs. Indiana, which started a string of four double-figure scoring games out of the next six. She added 13 points to help the Dream win a WNBA Finals rematch against Minnesota June 13, and more than a quarter of the way through the season, she was averaging 9.7 points while shooting a respectable 43 percent from the floor, including 35 percent from three-point range.

But then Thomas suffered a prolonged shooting slump, making just 25.2 percent of her shots the rest of the season, including 18.5 percent of her three-pointers. She eventually lost her starting spot and saw her playing time dwindle.

However, ever the professional, Thomas stayed mentally and physically ready at all times. And when Dumerc was injured during the Dream�s first playoff game against the Chicago Sky, Thomas stepped back into a starting role with the team�s season on the line in Game 2, and totaled nine points, a playoff career-high seven rebounds, six assists and a steal while helping the Dream win in Chicago. She added 11 more points and four assists in Game 3, but saw the team�s season come to an end.

�For me it was a great season at times, and it was a tough season at times,� said Thomas. �There was a lot of change and there was a lot of growth in many ways, so it was a learning season. We learned a lot, and it�s something we can build on. We have good relationships between the older players and the new players, which puts us in a position to be stronger in the future.�

While Thomas finished the season averaging career lows in points (4.8), rebounds (2.1) and assists (1.6), some of her contributions weren�t readily evident when looking just at the numbers. Her athleticism and quickness made her a tough perimeter defender and helped fuel the Dream�s fast-breaking style of play. In addition, her versatility and ability to play both guard spots capably make her a valuable addition to the roster.

And as noted previously, there were areas of improvement. First, Thomas cut down her turnovers drastically, averaging just 1.1 per game. Among the players who ranked in the top 50 in the WNBA in assists, Thomas� turnovers per game ratio was third best in the league.

�A lot of times in the past I�d try to make plays before they developed or tried to force something,� said Thomas. �This year I did a good job of playing with the flow and letting things come to me, and making the proper pass instead of trying to make the home run play all the time.�

Thomas also shot a career-best 71.4 percent from the free throw line, and grabbed more offensive rebounds per 40 minutes than in any previous season.

In addition, Thomas continued to show that she is a durable player, playing in all 34 games for the fourth consecutive season. She has yet to miss a game during her WNBA career, playing in 136 straight regular-season contests.

So although 2014 was not her best season statistically, Thomas is determined to improve during the offseason, particularly when it comes to knocking down shots.

�I started this season shooting better, and that�s something I want to be consistent at,� she said. �Also I want to stay aggressive and not have a lull in the season. It�s a lot of games in a short amount of time, so you can get tired, and you can let everything that�s going on affect you, so I want to get better at that.�