MERCURY RE-SIGNS GUSTAFSON, SIMMS, THOMAS

 

PHOENIX – The three-time WNBA Champion Phoenix Mercury have re-signed center Megan Gustafson, guard Jennie Simms and forward Sam Thomas, the team announced today.

Gustafson, originally selected by the Dallas Wings with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, spent the 2022 WNBA season with the Mercury after making the opening night roster. The Iowa product, who appeared in 33 contests for the Mercury, had a breakout year, scoring a career-high 15 points (6-of-10 shooting) on August 10 against Minnesota and recorded her first career double-double (12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds) in the final game of the regular season on August 14 against Chicago.

Prior to joining the Mercury, Gustafson spent two seasons with the Dallas Wings (2019-20), appearing in 34 games for Dallas and averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. She also spent one season with the Washington Mystics (2021), appearing in 11 games (one start) and averaged a career-best in points per game (4.0), field goal percentage (.594) and rebounds per game (3.6).

Gustafson is currently playing overseas with Greek club Olympiacos Piraeus, averaging a league best 20.3 points per game and team high 9.3 rebounds per game in 14 games played. Her best game of the season came from an 81-58 victory against Greek side Eunikos on December 30, scoring a double-double of 33 points (13-of-14 shooting) and 14 rebounds along with a career high four assists in 25 minutes played.

Simms, originally selected by the Washington Mystics with the 18th overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft, rejoins the Mercury after averaging career highs in minutes (13.2), points (3.4), field goal percentage (47.6), rebounds (2.2), assists (0.9) and steals (0.5) during the 2022 WNBA regular season. One of her best career games came during the regular season finale against Chicago on August 14, coming up just shy of her first career double-double, recording 12 points and eight rebounds. Simms began her rookie campaign with the Mystics, appearing in 10 games, and finished her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, appearing in four games and tallying nine points in a loss against Minnesota on August 30. Simms is currently playing overseas with Israeli club Elitzur Holon, averaging a team high 23.8 points along with 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Simms finished her collegiate career at Old Dominion fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list (2,151), broke the school’s record for career 30+ and 40+ scoring games and career free-throws made (528). She became just the 12th Lady Monarch to be selected in the WNBA Draft and the first ODU player to be named Conference USA Player of the Year (2016-17).

Thomas, who appeared in 24 contests for the Mercury during her rookie campaign, made her first career points on May 29 at Atlanta and scored a career-high six points during the regular season finale against Chicago on August 14. Thomas, who was one of two undrafted rookies to make an opening night roster, was named to the 2022 AP WNBA All-Rookie Team. Thomas is currently playing overseas with Italian club Dinamo Sassari where she is averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 18 games played.

A five-year starter from Las Vegas, Nevada, Thomas joined the Mercury from the University of Arizona, where she finished her career with 5,125 minutes played in 154 games played, ranking first all-time in program history. Thomas capped her career with a top-10 career ranking in program history in scoring (1,382), three-point field goals made (219), three-point field goal percentage (37.18), blocks (198) and steals (264). While at Arizona, she earned 2021 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, 2021 and 2022 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American honors, 2018 Arizona Athletics Female Freshman of the Year and won the Elite 90 Award for the best GPA of any student-athlete at the Final Four her senior year.