Player Review: Amanda Thompson

When Dream fans look back at the 2014 season years from now, forward Amanda Thompson may not be the first player they remember, but it was certainly a season to remember for Thompson.

Thompson was the 19th overall pick of the 2010 draft, selected in the second round by the Tulsa Shock, in the same state where she played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma. She had high expectations during her rookie season, but after playing in seven games, she was released after the Shock made a mid-season coaching change.

Since that time, Thompson continued to work to get back into the league. Her efforts went unrewarded, until this season. After being given a training camp contract in the spring, she came to Atlanta, impressed the Dream coaches with her attitude, effort and skills, and ultimately made the team. After three-and-a-half seasons out of the WNBA, just being back in the league was an accomplishment.

Thompson credited a lot of hours in the gym and her work ethic with helping her win a spot on the squad.

�I was in shape before, but I just took my body to another level,� Thompson said. �I stayed focused the whole time, through training camp and all season. I paid attention and did what I was needed to do. I did everything I could do to help my teammates. And I had fun.�

Thompson wasn�t merely content to simply make the team. Though she played sporadically - she saw action in 21 of the 34 regular-season games and played single-digit minutes in 15 of those contests � she did have productive stretches where she provided a lift off the bench.

For example, in an early-season game at Chicago, Thompson stepped in and played 23 minutes, totaling six points, four rebounds, three steals and three blocks. She also totaled six points, four rebounds and two blocks in a July 1 game at Indiana, and collected career highs of seven points and six rebounds Aug. 7 at Seattle.

It�s difficult to glean much information from the statistics of someone who played the equivalent of just over four full 40-minute games, but a couple of items do stand out.

First, Thompson was fifth on the team with 10 blocked shots in only 174 minutes of action, despite standing just 6-1. That rate of one blocked shot every 17.4 minutes is actually better than the rates of centers Erika de Souza (20.1) and Aneika Henry (18.9).

Next, her rebounding numbers indicate that she was particularly strong on the offensive glass, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds, which was sixth most on the team. Her rate of 4.6 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes was again better than the Dream�s leader in offensive rebounds, de Souza, who averaged 3.9 per 40 minutes.

In addition, she sank 10 of her 12 free throws (83.3 percent), demonstrating that she has the touch necessary to shoot mid-range jump shots.

So after finally spending a full season on a WNBA roster for the first time, Thompson is hungry for more. She plans to dedicate herself to improving several facets of her game during the offseason so she can earn even more minutes in 2015..

�I want to improve my all-around game,� she said. �I want to get quicker, stronger, more consistent with my jump shot, and be able to finish strong at the rim. I want to be an all-around, consistent player, so that when my name is called, I�m ready and can help more than I did this year.�