Samantha Allison Whitcomb (born July 20, 1988) is an American-Australian professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is also contracted with the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She played college basketball for the Washington Huskies before making a name for herself in Australia with the Rockingham Flames in the State Basketball League (SBL) and the Perth Lynx in the WNBL. She made her debut in the WNBA in 2017 and won championships with the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020. She became an Australian citizen in 2018 and made her debut for the Australian Opals. With the Bendigo Spirit in 2025, she was named WNBL Most Valuable Player and won her first WNBL championship.
Early life Born and raised in Ventura, California, Whitcomb played soccer as a child before taking up basketball at age 12. Her parents divorced when she was young, and through basketball she was able to keep a close relationship with her father despite spending less time together.
Whitcomb attended Ventura's Buena High School, where she was a four-year letterwinner and one-year team captain for the basketball team. She won numerous awards during her time at Buena, including the 2004–05 Co-County Player of the Year from the league coaches and the Ventura County Star's 2005–06 Girls' Basketball Player of the Year. She also helped her team win three Channel League titles as a sophomore, junior and senior. As a senior in 2005–06, she averaged 17.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game.
Whitcomb was also a two-time letterwinner in track and field during her sophomore and junior years. In 2005, she placed second in the league in shot put and first in the county for seeded throwers.
College career As a freshman at Washington in 2006–07, Whitcomb appeared in 21 games and received four starting assignments. She missed eight games mid-season after suffering a broken right hand during practice. She led the team with an 81.0 free-throw shooting percentage (17-for-21), was fourth on the squad with 15 three-pointers made, and averaged 4.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.
As a sophomore in 2007–08, Whitcomb's role on the team increased dramatically as she appeared in all 31 games and received 30 starting assignments. Her production subsequently increased and she was rewarded for her efforts with a Pac-10 All-Defensive honorable mention team selection. She also earned Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention honors. Her 11.2 points per game were ranked second on the team, while her 62 steals was a team high and her 74 assists were also second. On January 4, 2008, she recorded a near triple-double with nine points, nine steals and seven rebounds against Washington State. Her nine steals were two away from matching the UW school record. Six days later, she recorded her first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against UCLA. She was later named Pac-10 Player of the Week for her 24-point scoring output against California on March 2.
As a junior in 2008–09, Whitcomb appeared in all 30 games while starting 29 of them. She earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors and was named to the Pac-10 All-Defensive honorable mention team for a second-straight season. She also earned Pac-10 All-Academic second team honors. She led the Huskies in scoring (12.8 ppg), steals (2.3 spg), three-pointers made (54) and free-throws made (71), while she was second in rebounding (3.9 rpg) and third in assists (1.2 apg). On January 31, 2009, she scored a then career-high 29 points against Arizona State.
As a senior in 2009–10, Whitcomb started all 31 games and earned All-Pac-10 selection and Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention honors. She averaged a career-best 13.0 points per game, set a personal high with 175 rebounds, and was named Pac-10 Player of the Week on December 28, 2009. She went on to score a career-high 32 points against Washington State on January 29, 2010.
In her four-year career at Washington, Whitcomb scored 1,205 points, a mark that ranks 15th all-time in the program's history. She graduated from Washington in the spring of 2010 with a degree in history. She began as a coaching intern while playing her final season and after a quick WNBA training camp stint, Whitcomb opted to take the open position of the Huskies' video coordinator for the 2010–11 season.
Professional career WNBA After going undrafted in the 2010 WNBA draft, Whitcomb signed a training camp contract with the Chicago Sky on April 25, 2010. She was waived by the Sky on May 9 after appearing in three preseason games.
On February 8, 2017, Whitcomb signed with the Seattle Storm ahead of the 2017 WNBA season. In her WNBA debut on May 13, she recorded three points and three rebounds in just under seven minutes off the bench in a 78–68 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. On May 26, she scored a career-high 22 points and hit six three-pointers in 15 minutes off the bench in an 87–81 win over the New York Liberty. Her six second-half three-pointers tied the WNBA record for most three-pointers in a half. In 34 games in 2017, she averaged 4.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.2 minutes per game.
On February 1, 2018, Whitcomb re-signed with the Storm on a multi-year deal. She averaged 2.9 points and 8.5 minutes in 31 games during the regular season, before averaging 6.2 points and 12.5 minutes in six games throughout the playoffs, helping the Storm win the WNBA championship with a 3–0 sweep over the Washington Mystics in the Finals.
With the Storm in 2019, Whitcomb averaged 7.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 35 games.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 WNBA season was reduced to a 22-game regular season at IMG Academy, without fans present. Whitcomb appeared in all 22 games for the Storm. On August 12, 2020, she tied her career high for 3-pointers in a game with six to finish with a season-high 20 points in a 100–63 win over the Atlanta Dream. After appearing in all three games of the Storm's 3–0 semifinal series sweep over the Minnesota Lynx, she left the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida, and returned to Perth, Australia, to be with her wife for the birth of their first child. The Storm went on to defeat the Las Vegas Aces 3–0 in the Finals to garner Whitcomb her second WNBA championship. For the season, Whitcomb led Seattle's reserves with a career-high 8.1 points per game alongside 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 16.5 minutes.
On February 10, 2021, Whitcomb was acquired by the New York Liberty via sign-and-trade in exchange for the rights to Stephanie Talbot. On June 26, 2021, she scored a career-high 30 points in a 101–78 win over the Atlanta Dream. She made 7 of 12 from 3-point range and tied her career high with 22 points in the first half. She appeared in 30 games during the 2021 WNBA season, including a career-high 28 starts, averaging career highs of 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She also shot 42.5% from 3-point range.
After serving as one of the Liberty's captains in 2021, Whitcomb became the team's sole captain in 2022. On July 12, 2022, she scored 15 of her season-high 17 points in the third quarter of the Liberty's 107–101 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. She became the first Liberty player in the quarters era to make five-plus 3-pointers in a single quarter, tying the WNBA record for most threes in a third quarter in the process. Playing in a backup role, she averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 35.1% from 3-point range.
On February 3, 2023, Whitcomb signed a two-year deal with the Seattle Storm, returning to the franchise for a second stint. On August 18, she had 23 points and five 3-pointers in a 78–70 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. In 40 games during the 2023 WNBA season, she averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Whitcomb re-joined the Storm for the 2024 WNBA season. In 40 games, she averaged 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
On February 2, 2025, Whitcomb signed with the Phoenix Mercury. On July 7, 2025, scored 29 of her career-high 36 points in the first half of the Mercury's 102–72 win over the Dallas Wings. Whitcomb appeared in 43 games (20 starts) during the 2025 WNBA season, averaging 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. She made a team-high 86 three-pointers, which tied for seventh most in the league while becoming just the second Mercury player after Diana Taurasi to reach 80 in a season. She finished the season tied with Kara Lawson for the most threes off the bench (306) in WNBA history.
On April 12, 2026, Whitcomb re-signed with the Mercury on a two-year deal worth almost $2 million. On May 6, she was ruled out for at least four to six weeks due to requiring an arthroscopy to remove a loose body in her left knee. She made her 2026 season debut on July 9.
Europe Whitcomb considered signing in Switzerland for the 2010–11 season but the perceived lack of strong competition to prepare her to break into the WNBA ultimately led her to initially end her playing career.
In June 2011, Whitcomb launched her pro basketball career by signing with ChemCats Chemnitz of the Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga (DBBL) in Germany. In 22 games during the 2011–12 season, she averaged 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Whitcomb returned to Germany for the 2012–13 season, signing with the Wolfenbüttel Wildcats of the DBBL in July 2012. Wolfenbüttel made the finals in 2012–13 but went bankrupt and couldn't play out the season. In 20 games, she averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game.
In the fall of 2013, Whitcomb played in Slovakia for ŠKBD Rücon Spišská Nová Ves. She averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.9 steals in 15 MEL games.
Whitcomb was set to return to Germany to play for TSV 1880 Wasserburg in the 2014–15 season, but later asked for the termination of her contract citing the need for a break from playing.
For the 2018–19 season, Whitcomb played for French team Basket Lattes. In December 2018, she scored a season-high 40 points, which included 10 three-pointers. The team finished runners-up in both the French Basketball League and European Cup.
Whitcomb returned to Basket Lattes for the 2019–20 season. She scored a season-high 30 points. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was cut short.
In March 2021, Whitcomb played in Turkey for Galatasaray of the Women's Basketball Super League. She appeared in six Super League games and two EuroLeague games.
Whitcomb initially signed with French team ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq for the 2021–22 season, but changes in family circumstance saw her return to Perth instead.
On May 31, 2025, Whitcomb signed with Beşiktaş JK of the Turkish Super League for the 2025–26 season.
Australia SBL / NBL1 West Whitcomb debuted in Australia in 2013 with the Rockingham Flames of the State Basketball League (SBL). She played four seasons for the Flames, winning SBL championships in 2014 and 2015 and earning grand final MVP both years. She was named SBL Most Valuable Player in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and earned SBL All-Star Five honors all four years between 2013 and 2016.
After becoming an established WNBA player, Whitcomb began having consistent short stints in the SBL / NBL1 West prior to WNBA seasons in 2018 (Willetton Tigers, 4 games); 2023 (Willetton Tigers, 2 games); 2024 (Rockingham Flames, 5 games); 2025 (Perry Lakes Hawks, 2 games); and 2026 (Rockingham Flames, 2 games).
WNBL