Reserve Sami Whitcomb, who watched the WNBA Finals while quarantining in Australia. The team made the following announcement on Tuesday: The Seattle Storm announced today that guard Sami Whitcomb has left Bradenton, FL to return to Australia to be with her wife for the birth of their first child. With limited flights back into Australia and WA, plus a range of Covid-19 restrictions, the soon-to-be-mum wasn’t leaving anything to chance. "They were all incredibly supportive straight away," said Whitcomb, who averaged 8.1 points and 16.5 minutes over 25 games this season. Skip to content Menu [14], On February 1, 2018, Whitcomb re-signed with the Storm on a multi-year deal. [38] In 27 games, she averaged 23.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Suddenly, Whitcomb was staring at the prospect of facing a pair of quarantines -- one upon her arrival from the U.S. in Sydney, and a second when she was subsequently able to travel from Sydney home to Perth. She graduated from Washington with a degree in history. [32] In December 2018, she scored a season-high 40 points, which included 10 three-pointers. [28] In 15 games during Middle European League play between September 29 and December 21, she averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.9 steals per game. Call 1800 811 855 or view all subscription packages. Her 567 total points was also the second best mark ever set in the WNBL regular season—Penny Taylor had 570 in 2002. Whitcomb, who has played in each of the Storm’s 25 games this year will miss the remainder of the season. Before the playoffs, Whitcomb and assistant GM Talisa Rhea, who'd been helping book her flight home, took the idea of possibly leaving early to Storm CEO & GM Alisha Valavanis and the team's ownership group. [72] In December 2017, she was added to the Australian Opals squad ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, with her Australian citizenship application approval imminent. As a senior in 2005–06, she averaged 17.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game. Now, she is primed for her most special chapter. [23] The Storm went on to defeat the Las Vegas Aces 3–0 in the Finals to garner Whitcomb her second WNBA championship. She went on to score a career-high 32 points against Washington State on January 29, 2010. [57] She was named to the WNBL All-Star Five for the second consecutive season, after delivering the greatest scoring season in league history. She became an Australian citizen in 2018 and made her debut for the Australian Opals. 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[13] In 34 games in 2017, she averaged 4.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.2 minutes per game. “You love to see it, I’m so happy, they’ve been working so hard and I’d love nothing more than for us to finish it off in Game 3.”. [27][36] In 24 games, she averaged 22.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game. [3], Whitcomb married her long-time partner Kate in the U.S. in 2017. © West Australian Newspapers Limited 2020. For the 2013–14 season, Whitcomb moved to Slovakia to play for ŠKBD Rücon Spišská Nová Ves. She also earned Pac-10 All-Academic second team honors. Her production subsequently increased and she was rewarded for her efforts with a Pac-10 All-Defensive honorable mention team selection. Thursday – Monday Home delivery, with the latest footy news, new look Pre-Game and The Game lift outs with fixtures, highlights and expert opinions from WA’s … My passing and decision making needed to slow down a little bit even though the game is played at a fast pace. She went on to score a career-high 32 points against Washington State on January 29, 2010. [3], As a freshman at Washington in 2006–07, Whitcomb appeared in 21 games and received four starting assignments. [7][8][9] In her 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. Upon arrival, she was set up in a nearby hotel for the first two weeks of her quarantine. [25] In 22 games, she averaged 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. [76] She won a World Cup silver medal with the Opals. She was later named Pac-10 Player of the Week for her 24-point scoring output against California on March 2. Sami Whitcomb playing for Australia last year. I can't wait. How would she fare as the new emergency point guard? [13] In 34 games in 2017, she averaged 4.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.2 minutes per game. Admittedly, Whitcomb looked more natural running the offense while Prince fared better as a perimeter creator and spot-up shooter. It’s important to remember the distinction between what a player has been asked to do and what they’re capable of. [21] After appearing in all three games of the Storm's 3–0 semifinal series sweep over the Minnesota Lynx,[20][22] she left the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida, and returned to Perth, Australia, to be with her wife Kate for the birth of their first child. [27] In the 2013 season, Whitcomb was crowned the league's Most Valuable Player and earned All-Star Five honors. "They're superstars. Hier sollte eine Beschreibung angezeigt werden, diese Seite lässt dies jedoch nicht zu. [37], In 2018, Whitcomb had a three-week stint with the Willetton Tigers and subsequently won three straight Player of the Week awards.[44]. She finished the season with averages of 24.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, while knocking down 105 three-pointers throughout the year, besting her own WNBL record for most three-pointers made in a season. They knew that it wasn't that I didn't want to be there but family was most important.". She parted ways with the Lynx following the season. [31], For the 2018–19 season, Whitcomb played for French team Basket Lattes. “I wanted the French experience to reveal where I needed to improve. [70][71], In May 2017, Whitcomb applied for Australian citizenship. Both roles are important and the Storm may ask Prince to do a bit of both. 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. She made her debut in the WNBA in 2017 and won championships with the Storm in 2018 and 2020. She was waived by the Sky on May 9 after appearing in two WNBA preseason games. [14], Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 WNBA season was reduced to a 22-game regular season at IMG Academy, without fans present. She’s had setbacks, been cut from teams but persistence, resilience and sheer determination has seen Whitcomb achieve success right around the world. The couple then had their marriage recognised in Australia when same-sex marriage laws changed. She tallied 652 points throughout her 27 games, the highest single season points total in the WNBL's 36-year history. [32], Whitcomb returned to Basket Lattes for the 2019–20 season. She also helped her team win three Channel League titles as a sophomore, junior and senior. Samantha Allison "Sami" Whitcomb (born July 20, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). “We made that call, it wasn’t really a call more of how do we do this. Playing in the Finals would be a thrill but a child is only born once and no one should fault her for prioritizing family over basketball. Sami Whitcomb played her role in Seattle Storm reaching the WNBA Finals and now as they close in on a championship she’s watching from the other side of the world. SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia. She also earned Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention honors. [3], As a freshman at Washington in 2006–07, Whitcomb appeared in 21 games and received four starting assignments. (Perth recently switched to allowing new arrivals to quarantine at home if possible, so Whitcomb is hopeful her next two weeks won't be in another hotel room.). Since then, she hasn’t accounted 1-in-5 of her team’s assists while she’s on the floor. [37], Whitcomb returned to the Flames in 2015 and helped guide them back to the SBL Grand Final. [2], Whitcomb attended Ventura's Buena High School, where she was a four-year letterwinner and one-year team captain for the basketball team. 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. You work so hard and you go through this unique season in the Wubble to reach this point and you hope when you do (get there) you’re peaking as a group and playing our best and I feel like we are,’’ she said. [3], As a junior in 2008–09, Whitcomb appeared in all 30 games while starting 29 of them.