Alyssa Thomas, USA Take Olympic Gold
Basketball Great Becomes Second Terp to Win Top Honors at Paris Games
Team USA’s Jackie Young (left), Alyssa Thomas ’14 and Brittney Griner stand on the podium for the national anthem after winning gold in women’s basketball at the Paris Olympics. Thomas became the second Terp to earn top honors at the Games after triple jumper Thea LaFond ’15 also took gold.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Maryland women's basketball great Alyssa Thomas ’14 and the U.S. Women's National Team won the USA's eighth straight Olympic gold medal in women's basketball Sunday with a 67-66 win over France in Paris.
Thomas is Maryland's first U.S. Olympian in women's basketball since Vicky Bullett ’90, who won gold with the 1988 Olympic team and bronze with the 1992 Olympic team. In the 2021 Games in Tokyo, former Terp Diandra Tchatchouang took bronze playing for Team France. Thomas' gold with Team USA is the 11th Olympic gold medal won by a Terrapin alum and second in women's basketball.
Thomas averaged 3.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the Olympic run.
With track and field athlete Thea LaFond ’15 winning gold in the triple jump earlier in the Paris Olympics, this is the first time two Maryland athletes have won gold in the same Olympics.
Thomas played for the Terrapins from 2010-14 and is Maryland's all-time leader in scoring with 2,356 career points and 1,235 career rebounds. She was an All-American and three-time ACC Player of the Year. She led the Terrapins to the 2012 ACC Championship and the 2014 Final Four.
Thomas will be inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 18. Click here for more information and tickets.
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