Sami Whitcomb Bio
Samantha Allison Whitcomb, known professionally as Sami Whitcomb, is an American-Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall, she is recognized as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in women’s professional basketball. Over the course of her career, she has built a reputation for clutch shooting, steady leadership, and a versatile skill set developed across leagues in Germany, France, Turkey, Slovakia, and Australia.
Whitcomb first gained international attention as a member of the Seattle Storm, where she helped the franchise win WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020. She later added a WNBL championship with the Bendigo Spirit in 2025, the same season in which she was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. In 2025, she also signed with the Phoenix Mercury, embarking on a new chapter in the WNBA while continuing her decorated career abroad.
Early Life and Background
Sami Whitcomb was born on July 20, 1988, in Ventura, California, where she was raised alongside her older brother, Jason, by her parents, Jan and Sander. Her parents divorced when she was young, and Whitcomb has spoken about how basketball allowed her to maintain a close relationship with her father despite spending less time at home. Her great uncle, Roy Schmidt, played in the National Football League during the 1960s and 1970s, providing a notable athletic thread in the family’s background.
Whitcomb attended Buena High School in Ventura, where she became a four-year letterwinner and a one-year captain of the basketball team. She won the 2004–05 Co-County Player of the Year award and was named the Ventura County Star’s Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year for 2005–06. As a senior, she averaged 17.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.6 steals per game, leading her team to three Channel League titles. She also competed in track and field during her sophomore and junior years, placing second in the league in shot put and first in the county for seeded throwers in 2005.
Path to Basketball
Whitcomb played soccer as a child before taking up basketball at the age of 12, and the sport quickly became her primary focus. She continued her career at the University of Washington, where she played for the Washington Huskies from 2006 to 2010. Over four seasons, she developed into a complete guard, finishing her college career with 1,205 points, a mark that ranks 15th all-time in program history. She earned All-Pac-10 honors as a senior in 2009–10 and graduated with a degree in history.
After going undrafted in the 2010 WNBA draft, Whitcomb signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky but was waived before the regular season. She then joined the Huskies as a video coordinator for the 2010–11 season. Eager to keep playing, she considered signing in Switzerland but ultimately launched her professional career in Germany with the ChemCats Chemnitz of the Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga in June 2011.
Sami Whitcomb Career
Early Career (2011–2013)
Whitcomb began her professional career in Germany, playing for the ChemCats Chemnitz during the 2011–12 season, where she averaged 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Her strong play earned her a move to the Wolfenbüttel Wildcats for 2012–13, where she boosted her production to 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. The Wolfenbüttel Wildcats reached the league finals that year but went bankrupt and were unable to finish the season.
In the fall of 2013, Whitcomb played in Slovakia for ŠKBD Rücon Spišská Nová Ves, where she continued to post strong all-around numbers. She then traveled to Australia and joined the Rockingham Flames of the State Basketball League, where she won SBL championships in 2014 and 2015 and was named league MVP three consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2015. These dominant performances quickly established her as one of the top players in Australian basketball.
WNBL Breakthrough (2015–2018)
Whitcomb joined the Perth Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball League in May 2015 and made an immediate impact. In her debut WNBL season of 2015–16, she earned eight Team of the Week selections, was named Round 3 Player of the Week, and helped the Lynx reach their first WNBL Grand Final since 1999. She averaged 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.8 steals per game and was named the Lynx Club MVP.
The following season, 2016–17, Whitcomb delivered one of the most prolific scoring campaigns in WNBL history. She led the league in scoring with 23.6 points per game during the regular season and set a WNBL single-season record with 91 three-pointers. Her 567 total points ranked second all-time in the WNBL regular season, and she later scored 41 points in a semifinal win over the Dandenong Rangers, the highest single-game scoring mark in WNBL semifinal history. In 2017–18, she served as co-captain of the Lynx and helped the club capture the minor premiership with a 15–6 record.
Seattle Storm Era (2017–2020)
Whitcomb signed with the Seattle Storm ahead of the 2017 WNBA season and made an immediate impression. In her WNBA debut on May 13, 2017, she recorded three points and three rebounds off the bench, and later that month she scored a career-high 22 points and tied the WNBA record for most three-pointers in a half with six. She re-signed with the Storm on a multi-year deal in February 2018 and became a key contributor during the playoffs, helping Seattle win the 2018 WNBA championship with a 3–0 sweep of the Washington Mystics.
Whitcomb continued to be a steady presence for the Storm, and in the 2020 season, shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she played all 22 games and helped the team capture a second championship with a 3–0 Finals win over the Las Vegas Aces. That season, she averaged a career-high 8.1 points per game as Seattle’s leading reserve before leaving the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida, to return to Perth for the birth of her first child.
New York Liberty Era (2021–2022)
On February 10, 2021, Whitcomb was acquired by the New York Liberty via sign-and-trade. She quickly became a featured scorer, posting a career-high 30 points in a 101–78 win over the Atlanta Dream on June 26, 2021. She started a career-high 28 games that season, averaging career bests of 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from beyond the arc.
In 2022, Whitcomb became the Liberty’s sole captain and continued to be a key perimeter threat. On July 12, 2022, she scored 15 of her season-high 17 points in the third quarter of a 107–101 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, becoming the first Liberty player in the quarters era to make five or more three-pointers in a single quarter. She finished the season averaging 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
Phoenix Mercury Era (2025–Present)
On February 2, 2025, Whitcomb signed with the Phoenix Mercury, beginning a new chapter of her WNBA career. On July 7, 2025, she erupted for 29 of her career-high 36 points in the first half of a 102–72 win over the Dallas Wings. She appeared in 43 games with 20 starts, averaging 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while making a team-high 86 three-pointers, which tied for seventh in the league. She became just the second Mercury player, after Diana Taurasi, to reach 80 three-pointers in a season and finished tied with Kara Lawson for the most three-pointers off the bench in WNBA history with 306.
Whitcomb re-signed with the Mercury on April 12, 2026, on a two-year deal worth almost $2 million. On May 6, 2026, she was ruled out for at least four to six weeks after requiring an arthroscopy to remove a loose body in her left knee.
Driving Style and Strengths
Whitcomb is widely regarded as one of the premier three-point shooters in women’s basketball history, with deep range and a quick release that allows her to score in bunches. She combines perimeter shooting with active on-ball defense, rebounding from the guard position, and strong playmaking vision. Her ability to come off the bench and deliver instant offense has been a defining trait throughout her career, particularly in her stints with the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Whitcomb’s signature moments is her 41-point semifinal performance for the Perth Lynx in 2017, which set a WNBL semifinal scoring record. She also tied the WNBA record for most three-pointers in a half during her rookie season and tied for the league’s all-time mark for most three-pointers off the bench. In 2025, she added a WNBL championship with the Bendigo Spirit and joined an elite group of players who have won both WNBA and WNBL titles.
Sami Whitcomb Career Wins
Sami Whitcomb has compiled a remarkable collection of championships and individual awards across multiple professional leagues. In the WNBA, she has won two championships with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020, while in the WNBL, she captured a championship with the Bendigo Spirit in 2025. She has also won two SBL championships in Australia with the Rockingham Flames in 2014 and 2015.
WNBL Highlights
Whitcomb’s WNBL résumé includes a 2025 championship with the Bendigo Spirit, a WNBL Grand Final MVP award that same season, and a WNBL Most Valuable Player honor. She has been named to the All-WNBL First Team five times between 2016 and 2025, the All-WNBL Second Team in 2024, and has won the WNBL Leading Scorer Award in both 2017 and 2025. Her 652 total points during the 2016–17 season set a WNBL single-season record at the time.
Other Wins and Performances
Whitcomb won two SBL championships with the Rockingham Flames in 2014 and 2015, earning SBL Grand Final MVP honors both years. She was a three-time SBL Most Valuable Player from 2013 to 2015, a four-time SBL All-Star Five selection, and a three-time SBL scoring champion. Internationally, she has won medals with the Australian Opals, including a silver medal at the 2018 FIBA World Cup, a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games representation period, a bronze medal at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup, and a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Sami Whitcomb Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sami Whitcomb is the daughter of Jan and Sander and has an older brother named Jason. Her great uncle, Roy Schmidt, played in the National Football League during the 1960s and 1970s with the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Washington Redskins. Although her family background is more closely associated with football than basketball, Whitcomb has credited her parents and her brother for supporting her athletic development from a young age.
Personal Life
Whitcomb is married to former Willetton Tigers SBL player Kate Malpass, a physiotherapist and physical education teacher. The couple married in the United States in 2017 and had their marriage recognized in Australia after same-sex marriage laws changed. They welcomed their first child in November 2020, and as of May 2026, the couple has two children.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a landmark year for Sami Whitcomb across multiple leagues. In the WNBL, she joined the Bendigo Spirit and helped the club finish the regular season in first place with an 18–3 record while leading the league in scoring with 440 points. She averaged 21 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game and was named WNBL Most Valuable Player and to the All-WNBL First Team. In the postseason, she helped the Spirit reach the WNBL Grand Final and win the championship over the Townsville Fire, earning Grand Final MVP honors in the process.
In the WNBA, Whitcomb debuted with the Phoenix Mercury after signing in February 2025. She played 43 games with 20 starts and averaged 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, finishing the season with 86 made three-pointers, tied for seventh most in the league. She also signed with Beşiktaş JK of the Turkish Super League for the 2025–26 season, extending her professional career across three continents.
Looking ahead, Whitcomb re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury on a two-year deal in April 2026 and is expected to remain a key part of the team’s perimeter rotation as she continues to add to her legacy as one of the most accomplished three-point shooters in women’s professional basketball.
