Mercury's Sami Whitcomb Speaks On Sue Bird's Leadership

Before joining the Phoenix Mercury, veteran Sami Whitcomb was a member of the Seattle Storm. Whitcomb recently spoke on a legendary Storm player.

May 23, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke (7) defends Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Sami Whitcomb has been one of the key players in the Phoenix Mercury's season. She is knocking down 3-pointers, and she has stepped into the starting role when they team needed it.

Before the Mercury's game against the Atlanta Dream, Whitcomb was averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists. She was also shooting 37 percent from 3-point range. Whitcomb is a veteran with championship experience, which will come in handy later in the season.

Whitcomb has two championships, as she was a member of the Seattle Storm 2017 to 2020. The Storm won two titles in that period, as they won in 2018 and 2020.

During those years, the Storm had a special player who had an illustrious career before retiring. Sue Bird was a star who played with Seattle for her whole career. She had her share of accolades, as she was a four-time champion, a 13-time All-Star and Commissioner's Cup champion in 2021. The Storm also retired her jersey.

Bird spent her college career with the UConn Huskies and was a teammate of Mercury legend Diana Taurasi. The Storm guard made an impact, and her leadership stuck with Whitcomb.

The Mercury posted a YouTube short of Whitcomb speaking on Bird, and she had high praise.

"In terms of playing with Sue, and I was a 28-year-old rookie there, so that was unique in its own way. But to have someone like Sue, I think what I learned most from her was she saw the value in every single player on the floor," Whitcomb said.

"She knew how to use that and she knew how to empower those players. If I stepped on the floor, yeah I might just be a 3-point shooter, but she included me in whatever we were doing. She knew that I was going to draw attention. She knew that was going to create space for Stewie, that was going to create space for somebody else." She continued.

Whitcomb broke down Bird's qualities as a leader, and now, being a veteran on a young, contending team, she is incorporating what she learned from her former teammate.

The Mercury value Whitcomb's presence, and a champion, she knows what it takes to win. With someone like on their team, the Mercury's championship chances are strong this season.

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