How Sami Whitcomb sparked Mercury rising

• Sami Whitcomb's Phoenix Mercury have the third-best record in the WNBA at 10-4
• Whitcomb had 16 points, including four threes, in Phoenix's win over the New York Liberty
• She was the WNBL MVP last season, leading Bendigo to the WNBL championship

The Phoenix Mercury completely retooled their roster over the offseason and while the formation of a new superstar big three by adding Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to play alongside Kahleah Copper made all the headlines, the signing of Sami Whitcomb is already paying major dividends.

Whitcomb is the type of guard that every team looking to win a championship needs — she’s unselfish, can operate effectively with or without the ball in her hands, is a deadly shooter and a flat-out winner.

The Mercury currently own the third-best record in the league at 10-4, and at full strength could be one of very few teams that can challenge New York or Minnesota. Whitcomb has played a key role as Phoenix has done incredibly well to cover injuries to key players throughout the early parts of the season.

When I caught up with Whitcomb after she led the Bendigo Spirit to the 2024-25 WNBL Championship she was looking forward to getting to work in Phoenix, stating they were her number one choice in free agency.

“Just from my free agency calls, that was who I really hoped to land with, but obviously you just never know what's going to happen in terms of who else they sign,” Whitcomb said.

“I was really thrilled that it worked out and that they were as interested in me as I was them. I think it's going to be a fun group, a really competitive group.”

Fast forward to today and Whitcomb has started in 12 of 13 games played, stepping up to the plate with All-Star Kahleah Copper missing the first 11 games of the season due to injury. She’s playing the second-most minutes (26.5 per game) of her career, and most since the best individual season of her career with New York in 2021.

Almost a third of the way through the season, Whitcomb is playing the third most minutes on the team, behind only Thomas and Sabally, highlighting the responsibility that has been on Whitcomb’s shoulders with Copper out.

When you’re playing alongside players like Thomas, the league-leader in assists (nine per game), and Sabally, who has the highest usage percentage in the league (31.5%), you’re going to be playing off the ball for large chunks of your minutes, but the versatility Whitcomb provides is invaluable.

One play Whitcomb can be bringing the ball up the court setting up a play, the next she is coming off a screen looking for her shot, then she is the screener or decoy, and her work in the pick and roll — especially paired with Thomas — has been fruitful.

The connection between Thomas and Whitcomb has been fun to watch. And Thomas finds Whitcomb — who is one of the best off-ball movers in the league — in great spots, often on a fast break as Whitcomb gets out in front of the defence or out of the pick and roll.

Although Whitcomb’s three-point shots weren’t falling in the first six games of the season, shooting just 22.6% on long-range shots, as the saying goes, water always finds its level, and in the past seven games, she has begun to find her groove, shooting 36% from deep.

Her past two games have been signature Sami Whitcomb performances, highlighted by clutch buckets that helped Phoenix claim two important wins on the road. Against Las Vegas, Whitcomb scored a season-high 18 points (4-from-8 from three), and with 1:30 on the clock and her team leading by three points, Whitcomb delivered a dagger triple off a beautiful kickout pass from Thomas.

After missing one game due to an elbow injury, Whitcomb returned to action against Sandy Brondello’s Liberty squad yesterday. In a tied game, 68-all, with 7:38 remaining in the fourth, Whitcomb checked back into the game and proceeded to help lift the Mercury to a memorable win.

A 90-second stretch saw Whitcomb first drain a triple, then assist a Monique Akoa Makani bucket, and with 3:10 on the clock, she hit a monster three-pointer to give Phoenix a 10-point lead, 84-74. She finished off the Liberty with a pair of clutch free throws as time wound down and the Mercury left New York with a statement 89-81 win as Whitcomb recorded 16 points (4-from-9 from beyond the arc), five rebounds and five assists.

The frightening aspect for the rest of the league is that Phoenix still has so much room for improvement as Copper builds into her season, still having played just two games, and the chemistry of a completely new team grows stronger.

Whether she remains a starter or comes off bench as the season progresses, Whitcomb will be vital in Phoenix’s quest to go deep into the playoffs.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.