Idalis Pooooi Mel Thomas’ hard work and dedication marks her as an inspirational and admirable role model. Mel Thomas is from Cincinnati, Ohio, born on August 26, 1985. It was in Sixth grade, that she fell in love with the sport of basketball. It became the central focus of her life. Mel joined the UConn Huskies in 2004, where she continued the tradition of UConn women's basketball student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest levels both academically and athletically. She was a three-time Big East Academic All-Star, and is a graduate of UConn's highly regarded School of Business. Mel was named co-captain of her team in both her junior and senior seasons. Geno has been scouting her since she was a sophomore in high school. “My dreams of a National Championship started early.“ During Mel’s senior season at Mount Notre Dame High School, she led her team to a perfect 28-0 record and the school’s first Division I Ohio State Basketball Championship. “Mel Thomas will always be remembered as one of the toughest kids ever to play at UConn. That is saying a lot, considering the many great players who have played here! “ Says her coach, Geno. Mel finished her career with 1,098 points and ranked fourth in UConn history in three-pointers made with 224. Mel was a member of the United States Pan American Games team in the summer of 2007 as the U.S. won the gold medal for the first time since 1987. Thomas struggled during her freshman season. In her sophomore season, she was named the Big East’s Most Improved Player.

She started all of the Huskies’ first 28 contests before sitting out the final two games of the regular season with a sprained right ankle, which she got in the Syracuse game on February 2, 2006. The next season was her breakout season. Thomas started in all 36 games as the Huskies’ shooting guard and tallied double figure points in 16 games, including three 20-plus scoring efforts. She made at least one 3-pointer in 35 of 36 games. In her junior and senior seasons, she co-captained the team with Renee Montgomery. She spent the summer prior to the start of her junior season playing for the USA Pan American Games Team, which became the first U.S. squad to capture the gold medal at the Pan American Games since 1987. In her senior season, Thomas scored her 1,000 point of her career against the Virginia Cavaliers on December 5, 2007 in a 75-45 UConn win. Nine games later, her season was cut short due to tearing her ACL and lateral meniscus against Syracuse on January 15, 2008. On January 21, 2008, against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, Thomas was honored with her 1,000th point ball in front of a sold-out crowd at Gampel Pavilion.While sidelined with the injury during her senior year she wrote in a diary everyday and it later was made in to a book that she published called "Heart Of A Husky". She finished her UConn career