Melaine Thompson
 | |
| No. 27 – Williamsburg Minutemen | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| Species | Lioness ( Felidae ) |
| Gender | Female |
| Nickname(s) | |
| Royal T | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Dallas, TX |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| Shoots | Right |
| Career information | |
| School | Dallas State University |
| FBA draft | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Queens Pride | |
| Pro playing career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017-Feb. 7 2024 | Queens Pride |
| Feb. 7 2024-present | Williamsburg Minutemen |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Contract information | |
| Contract year | 2024 |
| 2026 Salary | $3 million |
| 2027 Salary | $4 million |
| Player Contacts | |
| (IC) Agent | Unknown |
| (OOC) Creator | Sam Gwosdz |
| (OOC) Actor | Unknown |
| (OOC) Usage | Ask me before any use |
Biography
Melaine Thompson comes from a stable, well-off family with both parents and an older brother, Ronnie, and younger sister, Nicole. Sibling rivalry, though, was a problem with her growing up, as Melaine sometimes felt she had to compete for attention. This became a bigger problem as Ronnie decided to take up football. Being that football is king in the state of Texas, her dad bonded closer with Ronnie and she was forced to go to her mom for more attention.
Eventually, she decided to take up a sport and chose basketball. Nicole, wanting to bond with her, chose it as well and the two frequently competed with themselves as well as their brother who challenged them to tackle runs with the pigskin.
This instilled a competitive drive in Melaine, who developed skills on her own and began to show them off as she based Nicole. She grew to like showboating and a couple of times in high school she took it overboard and the three ended up getting into arguments.
The ploy for attention ended up being successful as her parents recognized her skill and helped support her with the sport. In turn, she was the talk of her high school team as she combined shooting skills, fast passing and an abundance of soaking in cheers. Her college career saw that grow exponentially; Melaine was known for her command of the spotlight to the point where she was dubbed ""Royal T"" her freshman year. Small Dallas State University's basketball team became an entertaining spectacle to watch with Thompson taking the shots.
Inevitably, comparisons to former Queens Pride superstar Valencia Zeraus popped up and for a while she really loved the idea. But as she realized reading social media that most of the comparisons were unflattering, a new fire was lit within her. She knew that she couldn't please everyone; at the very least she had made herself proud as well as her parents.
But she needed new fuel going into the FBA. And maybe she would be just as good as Zeraus someday. Maybe even better.
Thompson's best skills are getting open for shots and her size gives her an advantage over smaller guards in nailing jump shots. Her three-point and mid-range game rivals that of regular small forwards and her dunking ability, while not flashy, never fails to rev up the crowd, especially after she celebrates afterwards. Her passing is above average and allows her to run the offense if needed. She can also play small forward in a pinch, though roughhouse defense really isn't her forte. She's also not the speediest of guards due to her height, but she can get down the floor on defense or on the fast break just fine.
At the 2022 All-Star Break, Melaine came into the three-point contest as the lowest seed, but ended up winning the contest, hitting fifteen shots in a row in the second round.