The sky-blue Jordans Alyssa Thomas wears are as loud and flashy as she is steady and unpretentious. With quiet strength, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community student-athlete has dominated her first varsity basketball season for Mesa’s Westwood High School.

The Warriors faced fierce competition this season, starting with a victory against the Kofa Kings and another against Corona Del Sol 51-27 in the McClintock High School Thanksgiving Turkey Shootout.

With December came a five-game losing streak that continued into January. Down, but never out, Thomas maintained her dedication to improve.

Coach Korina “Kori” Trevizo spoke to O’odham Action News before the Westwood home game against Mountain View January 17. She said Thomas is a hardworker and a great addition to the varsity lineup. 

“[Thomas] puts her head down and gets right to work,” Trevizo said. 

Trevizo complimented Thomas’ basketball skills and said she’s been working to refine Thomas’ on-court communication skills this season. “She’s always asking for feedback, which is great,” Trevizo said. 

Mountain View came out of the gate with stellar defense and forced the Warriors to commit costly turnovers. Thomas was matched against the Toro’s tallest player and battled for tough rebounds the entire game. When Thomas got control of the ball, she was double- and triple-teamed, a strategy implemented by coach Mandi Carson during Mountain View’s initial timeout. Westwood eventually lost the match 56-23. 

The Warriors finish their season with home games against Red Mountain and Dobson February 7 and 11, and an away game against the Mesa Jackrabbits February 12. 

Thomas made the leap to varsity this year after spending last season on junior varsity alongside fellow SRPMIC student-athlete, Taylor Moore. Her knowledge of the game and willingness to grow makes Thomas a player to be proud of, Trevizo said. “She knows it took a lot for her to get here,” the coach said of Thomas. “That’s the great thing about Alyssa: She has so much more to grow.”