Phoenix Mercury Get a Glimmer of Hope as Sami Whitcomb Edges Closer to Return

For a team that’s stumbled to a 4-10 start, any sign of a lift is welcome. And on Monday, the Phoenix Mercury got one — albeit a cautious one — when head coach Nate Tibbetts confirmed that veteran guard Sami Whitcomb has started on-court work during the team’s current road trip.

Whitcomb has been sidelined since before the season tipped off, undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her left knee after what the team described as a sudden injury diagnosis. The initial recovery window was four to six weeks, and that six-week mark arrived Monday. But Tibbetts isn’t rushing her back.

“It was great to have her on the road trip. She started some on-court activities. We don’t have a timeline or anything like that. We just have to make sure she’s at 100%,” Tibbetts said before the team’s latest game.

The Mercury are in desperate need of what Whitcomb brings — both the obvious and the less visible. On paper, she’s arguably the team’s best pure shooter, trailing only standout rookie Jovana Nogić in that department. But her real value to this rebuilding squad goes beyond the three-point line.

Whitcomb, now in her second stint with Phoenix, has long been known as a connector — an unselfish veteran who bridges the gap between the Mercury’s younger players and the established stars like Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi (when healthy). That kind of glue presence has been missing during the team’s uneven start, and it shows in the inconsistency of their half-court offense and defensive rotations.

Players have acknowledged the team still feels like it’s in a training-camp phase. Alyssa Thomas noted recently that getting everyone on the same page has been a challenge, with lineups shifting and chemistry still developing. Whitcomb, who already knows Tibbetts’ system from last season, could help steady that process.

The Mercury aren’t setting a firm target date for her return. But the fact that she’s back on the floor — even in a limited capacity — is a tangible step forward for a franchise that’s been playing catch-up in a brutally competitive WNBA. The next step is simply making sure she’s right before she suits up for real.