Analysis: Where does the Sami Whitcomb signing leave the Phoenix Mercury?
Sami Whitcomb and the Mercury agreed to a deal on Sunday. The Australian will provide necessary depth for the Mercury at point guard but concerns remain.
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury have a predicament and just might play point guard by committee after trading away Natasha Cloud as part of the deal to bring Alyssa Thomas to the Valley.
The Mercury and free agent Sami Whitcomb agreed to a deal on Sunday, which will help provide some depth in what could be one of the team’s thinnest positions, but there are still plenty of concerns to be had.
Nate Tibbetts’ rotation at point guard is one of the biggest question marks remaining for the Mercury as the list of unsigned free agents wanes — a free agent class more defined by players who dominate on the wing and in the post than at point guard in the first place, making the Cloud trade even more puzzling to a certain extent.
The Mercury will undoubtedly miss Cloud after her career year in 2024.
Cloud averaged career highs in rebounds (4.1), steals (1.4), blocks (0.6) and minutes (33.3) before being named to the 2024 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team.
The Mercury’s starting point guard in 2024 finished third in the league in assists per game at 6.9 and second in points-assists double-doubles with eight.
She also set the Mercury’s franchise record with 263 assists during the regular season.
Which begs the question, what in the world will the Mercury do at point guard in 2025?
The 5-foot-10 Whitcomb is a combo guard and while she is comfortable bringing the ball up the floor, the 36-year-old has played most of her career on the wing, a position she naturally thrives in.
Playing off the ball for the Bendigo Spirit in the WNBL, Whitcomb is leading the Australian league in scoring at 21.5 points per game and is third in the league in assists at 5.0 per game.
If the Mercury play Whitcomb at point guard, they could be moving her away from her best position.
However, the move to bring in Whitcomb is still beneficial for the Mercury. Whitcomb as an eight-year WNBA veteran is a player 23-year-old Celeste Taylor can learn under entering her second season.
But the Mercury also face a very similar issue with knowing where to play Taylor.
One of the biggest question marks near the end of last season Tibbetts had was is Taylor a point guard or a shooting guard?
Taylor played well in a point guard role for the Mercury during the 2024 season but has recently excelled playing off the ball with the Sydney Flames during the WNBL season.
In her past 10 games for the Flames, Taylor is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 46.7% from the field (49-for-105).
With the recent emergence of Taylor’s Sydney teammate Shaneice Swain, Taylor has thrived as a shooting guard, but she may need to play in more of a point guard role for the Mercury in 2025.
Another player who could play a share of point guard for the Mercury is Amy Atwell; however, the Perth player remains unsigned after the Mercury offered her a reserved qualifying offer and it remains unclear if she will play in the WNBA during the 2025 season.
The Mercury could play the newly acquired Alyssa Thomas in a point-forward role but relying on Thomas to play in that position could see the Mercury run into the same problems Mat Ishbia’s other team, the Phoenix Suns, faced during the 2023-24 NBA season playing without a true point guard.
Sevgi Uzun, a point guard acquired in the trade that sent Satou Sabally to Phoenix, is a serviceable option at point guard for the Mercury but is more apt to be a reliable backup than a starter as she struggled with consistency during her rookie season in 2024.
She played in all 40 games during the 2024 season and made 19 starts but shot just 34.2% from the field and 23.8% from three.
Known for her abilities as a passer and playmaker, Uzun is not a threat to score, something defenses can take advantage of and play off of.
And while Uzun is more than fine as a defender, she is not elite defensively like Taylor is.
Like Taylor, Uzun is on a training camp deal so her contract will not count towards the Mercury’s cap if she does not make the team’s roster out of camp.
Who is Sami Whitcomb?
Despite being born in Ventura, California, Whitcomb became a naturalized Australian citizen in 2018 and ultimately played for the Opals at the 2018 World Cup, winning a silver medal. She has since won bronze medals at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics for Australia.
After spending her first four seasons in Seattle where she won two WNBA titles (2018, 2020), she was traded to the New York Liberty in 2021. She then played in New York for two seasons before returning to Seattle in 2023.
Whitcomb made 19 starts during the 2023 season and averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting 40% from the field and 38.5% from three.
The Storm’s signing of Skylar Diggins-Smith in 2024 saw Whitcomb move to a more limited role, starting only three games and playing just 15.3 minutes per game.
Whitcomb averaged 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists and her shooting form dropped to 34.6% from the field and 29.2% from three in 2024.
“Sami is a savvy guard who can spread the floor with her shooting and does all the little things,” Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren said in a press release. “Her veteran and championship experience will be a big boost to our team.”
Whitcomb also continues the Mercury’s long lineage of Australian players. In fact, of the 41 Australians to have ever played in the WNBA, Whitcomb would be the 18th to have played for the Mercury.