Michigan guard Stacey Thomas has long been regarded for her larceny.
After all, the Flint native ranks first in the Big Ten in steals with just less than four per game. And as her team reeled off two conference wins this past weekend, the fact Thomas was the one who stole the show shouldn't surprise anybody.
In marshalling her squad past Northwestern on Sunday afternoon, Thomas was able to tally six steals to move into second place all-time on the Michigan career steal list.
For her efforts, which included a half-dozen assists, 10 rebounds and four blocks to go along with a 15-point output, Thomas was honored by the Big Ten as the conference's player of the week. The honor marks the second time Thomas has earned the distinction and comes as her team is in the midst of a three-game win streak.
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| FILE PHOTO Stacey Thomas leads the Big Ten in steals, which transformed into many Michigan points over this past weekend. |
With 15 points and six steals, Thomas helped put the brakes on Michigan's skid as the Wolverines drove over Michigan State a week ago. In helping to lead her team past the Big Ten's fifth-place Spartans, Thomas dazzled fans and caught the attention of opponents.
"She's a hustler, I credit her offensively and defensively," Michigan State's Maxann Reese said. "You just have to be ready to go against her all the time. She does great things and is a great ballplayer."
And against Michigan State, as has been the case so man times in her career, Thomas' greatness was apparent, largely in the way she controlled the game defensively.
"Stacey Thomas does a nice job getting her hands on balls that create steals, that turn into easy baskets on the other end," Michigan State coach Karen Langeland said.
Thomas' performance against Langeland's squad served as a mere hint of what was to come for the Thomas in the week that followed. In the past three games, for which Thomas' Big Ten honors have come, she has averaged 14 points, nearly three assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots - a statistic bolstered by a four-block performance against the awed Wildcats.
"Stacey Thomas is incredible. I've never seen such an athletic player," Northwestern's Clarissa Flores said. "She penetrated against us and hit some key shots. She's just an all-around player."
Despite suffering through a bit of a shooting drought as she and her squad stumbled through a five-game slide, with her play this weekend, Thomas boldly erased any doubt that she is the offensive catalyst of her team. Though she's led her team back into the Big Ten hunt, not measured in any statistical category, however, are the contributions Guevara said Thomas makes in terms of leadership. On a team lacking a senior, Thomas' leadership has helped guide a talented cast of younger players who've grown to complement the former Big Ten freshman of the year.
"Stacey is a leader who leads by example," Guevara said.
And that example has served to fuel a Wolverine resurgence that has the team gaining momentum as the heart of the conference season approaches. Yet in defining herself as Michigan's veteran leader, Thomas has found some of her younger teammates anxious to share the burden of scoring.
"Stacey was frustrated for a while, trying to take the world upon her shoulders, and her jumpshot suffered," Guevara said. "But I think she's realized she has teammates that can hit the jumper and help out."
And those contributions have not only taken the pressure off Thomas, but have allowed others to flourish for the Wolverines while creating a sense of enjoyment
"I'm very proud of the freshmen," Thomas said. "They're coming in, working hard and doing the extra things to make contributions. It makes things a lot of fun."
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