After watching a clip on social media of commentators criticizing her abilities as point guard shortly before playing a World Cup game for Team Australia, Phoenix Mercury guard and VIS Mentor Sami Whitcomb felt devastated. But instead of letting the criticism define her, she reminded herself of who she was, the work she put in to earn that opportunity, and that she has value away from the sport.

That mindfulness ultimately led her to play some of her best basketball and come out of the tournament with a medal.

Mindfulness, Whitcomb says, is linked to performance, and is something she is deeply passionate about. 

Mindset

Mind over matter has been a big part of Whitcomb’s success. While athletes will always face setbacks, hurdles and doubt, focusing on the positive is important to manifest success.

“I think if you're focusing on the negative, if you're focusing on bad performances or a bad possession, or the worry that can sometimes come leading up to a big performance, we can manifest the bad stuff,” Whitcomb said.

Even though having a positive attitude will not always guarantee strong performances, it leaves room for greater growth. 

Whitcomb said she likes to live by the quote “what you water grows,” meaning that having a positive perspective can lead to positive outcomes.

Motivation

Not letting go of your "why" for playing a sport and holding onto the joy it brings can be key to maintaining a positive mindset.

“Most of the time as humans, we're not doing things that we don't enjoy, that we don't love, especially if it's hard, right?” Whitcomb said. “Especially if it's taking a lot of our time up, we're doing it because we love it, and there's joy.”

For Whitcomb, knowing her motivations for playing basketball help her stay on track and stay accountable. 

“Knowing what I'm chasing is a super important part of staying motivated,” Whitcomb said. 

“Most of the time as humans, we're not doing things that we don't enjoy, that we don't love, especially if it's hard, right? Especially if it's taking a lot of our time up, we're doing it because we love it, and there's joy.”

VIS Mentor Sami Whitcomb

Setting Goals 

Whitcomb has always been a believer in dreaming big, even to the point of being unrealistic. She writes down her goals on her mirror with a whiteboard marker so that she sees them in the morning when she wakes up. While having big goals is important, having smaller goals, like shooting a certain number of shots along the way, can also help Whitcomb stay motivated.

After getting cut from the WNBA, Whitcomb made a list of the things she thought she needed to improve upon, such as strength, decision-making, and conditioning. She played overseas for a few years, and during that time, she wrote down some big goals, like leading the league in scoring.

“I think if I hadn't written them down, if I hadn't dared to dream big enough to have those goals and dreams, I just don't know that I would have gotten close enough to even any of them, much less all of them,” Whitcomb said.

Little by little, she tackled each of those goals, and after years of playing overseas, she made it to the WNBA.

Knowing Your Worth

Whitcomb also prioritizes her identity outside of basketball. Her family is one of her biggest motivations, inspiring her not only to be a role model for them but also to be fully present in their lives.

One quote that was especially meaningful to her came from an Australian Olympian named Nicola Olyslagers.

“I remember standing out there, and I had so much peace because I knew that my performance didn't determine my identity and my value,” Olyslagers said. “If you can't lose anything when you come last, you can't gain anything if you come first. So let's go and do it.”

Whitcomb's biggest takeaways? Be kind to yourself, dream big, and remember who you are, what you love, and what matters most outside of sport.

“If you ignore the emotional, intellectual side of being a person, you take away so much of what we’re capable of,” Whitcomb said.