View source for Sheri Sam

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (born 1974)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name            = Sheri Sam
| image           = 
| league = 
| team = 
| position        = 
| height_ft       = 5
| height_in       = 11
| weight_lb       = 178
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1974|5|5}}
| birth_place     = [[Lafayette, Louisiana]], U.S.
| high_school     = [[Acadiana High School|Acadiana]] ([[Scott, Louisiana]])
| college         = [[Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball|Vanderbilt]] (1992–1996)
| draft_year      = 1999
| draft_round     = 2
| draft_pick      = 20
| draft_team      = [[Orlando Miracle]]
| draft_league    = WNBA
| career_start    = 1999
| career_end      = 2008
| career_position = [[Forward (basketball)|Forward]] / [[Guard (basketball)|guard]]
| career_number = 55, 2
| years1          = {{WNBA Year|1999}}
| team1           = [[Orlando Miracle]]
| years2          = {{WNBA Year|2000}}–{{WNBA Year|2002}}
| team2           = [[Miami Sol]]
| years3          = {{WNBA Year|2003}}
| team3           = [[Minnesota Lynx]]
| years4          = {{WNBA Year|2004}}
| team4           = [[Seattle Storm]]
| years5          = {{WNBA Year|2005}}–{{WNBA Year|2006}}
| team5           = [[Charlotte Sting]]
| years6          = {{WNBA Year|2007}}
| team6           = [[Indiana Fever]]
| years7          = {{WNBA Year|2008}}
| team7           = [[Detroit Shock]]
| cyears1 = 2014–2017
| cteam1 = [[Eastern Illinois Panthers women's basketball|Eastern Illinois]] (assistant)
| highlights      = 
* 2× [[WNBA Finals|WNBA champion]] ([[2004 WNBA Finals|2004]]), [[2008 WNBA Finals|2008]])
* [[WNBA All-Star Game|WNBA All-Star]] ([[2002 WNBA All-Star Game|2002]])
* Third-team All-American – [[Associated Press|AP]], [[United States Basketball Writers Association|USBWA]] (1996)
* [[Women's Basketball Coaches Association|Kodak]] All-American (1996)
* [[SEC Women's Basketball Tournament|SEC Tournament MVP]] (1995)
* 2x First-team All-[[Southeastern Conference|SEC]] (1995, 1996)
| bbr_wnba        = samsh01w
| medaltemplates  = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[basketball]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{flagu|United States}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[USA Women's R. William Jones Cup Team|Jones Cup]]| Team Competition}}
{{MedalGold|[[USA Women's R. William Jones Cup Team|1995 Taipei]]| Team Competition}}
{{MedalGold|[[USA Women's R. William Jones Cup Team|1996 Taipei]]| Team Competition}}
}}
'''Sheri Lynette Sam''' (born May 5, 1974) is an American professional [[women's basketball]] coach and player who played in the [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]]. She was born and raised in [[Lafayette, Louisiana]] as the youngest of eight siblings, and where she was a standout at Acadiana High School. She graduated from [[Vanderbilt University]] in 1996. She was an assistant coach at [[Eastern Illinois University]].

==Vanderbilt statistics==
Source:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WBB1/Women's%20Basketball_Women's_Division%20I_1993_736_Vanderbilt%20University.pdf|title=FINAL 1993 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTICS REPORT|website=ncaa.org|access-date=2021-07-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WBB1/Women's%20Basketball_Women's_Division%20I_1994_736_Vanderbilt%20University.pdf|title=FINAL 1994 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTICS REPORT|website=ncaa.org|access-date=2021-07-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WBB1/Women's%20Basketball_Women's_Division%20I_1995_736_Vanderbilt%20University.pdf|title=FINAL 1995 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTICS REPORT|website=ncaa.org|access-date=2021-07-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WBB1/Women's%20Basketball_Women's_Division%20I_1996_736_Vanderbilt%20University.pdf|title=FINAL 1996 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTICS REPORT|website=ncaa.org|access-date=2021-07-22}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+{{{caption|Ratios}}}
!YEAR
!Team
! scope="col" |{{abbr|GP|Games played}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|FG%|Field goal percentage}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|3P%|3-point field-goal percentage}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|FT%|Free-throw percentage}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|RBG|Rebounds per game}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|APG|Assists per game}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|BPG|Blocks per game}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|SPG|Steals per game}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|PPG|Points per game}}
|-
|1992-93
|[[1992–93 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team|Vanderbilt]]
|24
|52.5%
| -
|48.1%
|2.08
|0.46
|'''0.25'''
|0.29
|3.21
|-
|1993-94
|Vanderbilt
|33
|52.1%
|'''50.0%'''
|68.0%
|6.24
|1.94
|0.15
|1.39
|9.21
|-
|1994-95
|Vanderbilt
|'''35'''
|53.7%
|32.0%
|74.6%
|'''8.31'''
|'''3.60'''
|0.23
|'''2.00'''
|15.54
|-
|1995-96
|Vanderbilt
|30
|'''57.1%'''
|31.7%
|'''75.5%'''
|7.17
|3.50
|0.17
|1.70
|'''20.40'''
|-
|Career
|
|122
|54.6%
|33.3%
|71.7%
|6.25
|2.51
|0.20
|1.43
|12.60
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+{{{caption|Totals}}}
!YEAR
!Team
! scope="col" |{{abbr|GP|Games played}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|FG|Field goals made}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|FGA|Field goal attempts}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|3P|3-point field-goals made}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|3PA|3-point field-goal attempts}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|FT|Free-throws made}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|FTA|Free-throws attempted}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|REB|Total rebounds}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|A|Assists}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|BK|Blocks}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|ST|Steals}}
! scope="col" |{{abbr|PTS|Points}}
|-
|1992-93
|Vanderbilt
|24
|32
|61
|0
|0
|13
|27
|50
|11
|6
|7
|77
|-
|1993-94
|Vanderbilt
|33
|125
|240
|3
|6
|51
|75
|206
|64
|5
|46
|304
|-
|1994-95
|Vanderbilt
|'''35'''
|224
|417
|8
|25
|88
|118
|'''291'''
|'''126'''
|'''8'''
|'''70'''
|544
|-
|1995-96
|Vanderbilt
|30
|'''244'''
|'''427'''
|'''13'''
|'''41'''
|'''111'''
|'''147'''
|215
|105
|5
|51
|'''612'''
|-
|Career
|
|122
|625
|1145
|24
|72
|263
|367
|762
|306
|24
|174
|1537
|}

==USA Basketball==
She competed with [[USA Basketball]] as a member of the 1995 [[United States women's national basketball team#William Jones Cup|Jones Cup Team]] that won the Bronze in [[Taipei]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.usab.com/womens/wjcup_1995.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808043640/http://archive.usab.com/womens/wjcup_1995.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 8, 2014|title=1995 WOMEN'S R. WILLIAM JONES CUP|accessdate=3 August 2014}}</ref>

Sam was also invited to be a member of the Jones Cup team representing the US in 1996. She helped the team to a 9–0 record, and the gold medal in the event. Sam averaged 13 points per games, the highest scoring average on the team, and was named to the All-Tournament first team.<ref name="1996 Jones Cup"/>

==Professional==

===ABL===
After her college graduation, Sam played three years for the [[San Jose Lasers]] in the now-defunct [[American Basketball League 1996-98|American Basketball League]] (ABL), a professional women's league.

===WNBA===
Shortly after the ABL ceased operations in 1999, Sam was selected by the [[Orlando Miracle]] in the [[WNBA draft]] and became one of the Miracle's most productive players that year. Sam was waived by the Miracle just before the 2000 season began, but was signed as a [[free agent]] by the [[Miami Sol]].  She played three seasons (2000, 2001, and 2002) with the Sol until the team folded due to financial difficulties. After the Sol ceased operations, a [[2003 WNBA dispersal draft|dispersal draft]] was held, and the [[Minnesota Lynx]] selected Sam, and she played for the Lynx that season.<ref>{{cite web |title=PLUS: W.N.B.A.; Dispersal Draft Scatters 2 Rosters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/sports/plus-wnba-dispersal-draft-scatters-2-rosters.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 25, 2003 |access-date=May 21, 2025}}</ref>

During the annual [[WNBA draft]] on April 15, 2004, Sam and Lynx teammate, [[Janell Burse]], were traded to the [[Seattle Storm]] in exchange for [[Amanda Lassiter]] and a first-round draft pick. Sam spent the 2004 season with the [[Seattle Storm]], as the team won the [[WNBA Finals]] by defeating the [[Connecticut Sun]], two games to one.

After the 2004 season ended, Sam became an [[free agent|unrestricted free agent]]. On February 14, 2005, Sam signed with the [[Charlotte Sting]]. She would be involved in yet another dispersal draft in [[2007 WNBA dispersal draft|2007]] after the demise of the Sting in December 2006.<ref name=07dispersal>{{cite web |title=2007 Charlotte Sting Dispersal Draft Analysis |url=https://www.wnba.com/archive/wnba/features/dispersalanalysis.html |website=WNBA |date= |access-date=May 25, 2025}}</ref> This time, she was selected by the [[Indiana Fever]].<ref name=07dispersal/>

On May 7, 2008, Sheri signed with the [[Detroit Shock]]. Her 2008 season with the Detroit Shock was the last of her 10-year WNBA career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vucommodores.com/ot/2011-hof-sam.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053233/http://www.vucommodores.com/ot/2011-hof-sam.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |title=Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site - Athletics}}</ref>

During the 2007-08 WNBA off-season, she played for [[Elitzur Ramla (women's basketball)|Elitzur Ramla]] in [[Israel]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=WNBA.com: Offseason 2007-08: Overseas Roster|url=https://www.wnba.com/archive/wnba/news/overseas_0708.html|access-date=2021-05-25|website=www.wnba.com}}</ref> She played for Panionios in Greece during the 2008-09 WNBA off-season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=WNBA.com: Offseason 2008-09: Overseas Roster|url=https://www.wnba.com/archive/wnba/news/overseas_0809.html|access-date=2021-05-25|website=www.wnba.com}}</ref>

==WNBA career statistics==
{{WNBA player statistics legend}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|†
|Denotes seasons in which Sam won a [[WNBA Finals|WNBA championship]]
|}

===Regular season===
{{WNBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[1999 WNBA season|1999]]
| align="left" | [[1999 Orlando Miracle season|Orlando]]
| 32 || 32 || 34.0 || .388 || .328 || .688 || 4.6 || 2.4 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 2.0 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | [[2000 WNBA season|2000]]
| align="left" | [[2000 Miami Sol season|Miami]]
| 31 || 27 || 29.2 || .387 || .292 || .670 || 4.3 || 2.1 || 1.1 || 0.2 || 2.4 || 12.8
|-
| align="left" | [[2001 WNBA season|2001]]
| align="left" | [[2001 Miami Sol season|Miami]]
| 32 || 32 || '''34.4''' || .432 || .276 || .750 || 4.3 || '''2.8''' || 1.7 || '''0.3''' || 2.7 || 13.9
|-
| align="left" | [[2002 WNBA season|2002]]
| align="left" | [[2002 Miami Sol season|Miami]]
| 32 || 32 || 33.5 || '''.434''' || '''.342''' || .618 || 4.8 || 2.6 || '''2.2''' || 0.2 || 2.2 || '''14.5'''
|-
| align="left" | [[2003 WNBA season|2003]]
| align="left" | [[2003 Minnesota Lynx season|Minnesota]]
| '''34''' || 28 || 28.0 || .383 || .329 || .705 || 4.2 || 2.6 || 1.1 || 0.2 || 1.4 || 11.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| [[2004 WNBA season|2004]]<sup>†</sup>
| align="left" | [[2004 Seattle Storm season|Seattle]]
| '''34''' || 32 || 29.9 || .412 || .262 || '''.855''' || 4.1 || 2.4 || 1.6 || 0.2 || 1.9 || 9.1
|-
| align="left" | [[2005 WNBA season|2005]]
| align="left" | [[2005 Charlotte Sting season|Charlotte]]
| '''34''' || 33 || 31.6 || .387 || .321 || .713 || 4.3 || 2.7 || 1.3 || 0.1 || 2.9 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | [[2006 WNBA season|2006]]
| align="left" | [[2006 Charlotte Sting season|Charlotte]]
| '''34''' || '''34''' || 29.1 || .399 || .269 || .627 || '''5.1''' || 2.6 || 1.6 || 0.1 || 2.1 || 10.6
|-
| align="left" | [[2007 WNBA season|2007]]
| align="left" | [[2007 Indiana Fever season|Indiana]]
| 33 || 4 || 17.9 || .339 || .273 || .690 || 2.9 || 1.3 || 0.9 || 0.2 || 1.2 || 5.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| [[2008 WNBA season|2008]]<sup>†</sup>
| align="left" | [[2008 Detroit Shock season|Detroit]]
| 32 || 15 || 14.9 || .309 || .286 || .692 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 0.6 || 0.1 || 1.0 || 2.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | 10 years, 7 teams
| 328 || 269 || 28.3 || .397 || .302 || .698 || 4.1 || 2.3 || 1.3 || 0.2 || 2.0 || 10.2
{{S-end}}

===Playoffs===
{{WNBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[2001 WNBA Playoffs|2001]]
| align="left" | [[2001 Miami Sol season|Miami]]
| 3 || 3 || '''36.3''' || .323 || .222 || .818 || 3.3 || 1.3 || '''1.7''' || 0.0 || 2.7 || '''10.3'''
|-
| align="left" | [[2003 WNBA Playoffs|2003]]
| align="left" | [[2003 Minnesota Lynx season|Minnesota]]
| 3 || 0 || 24.7 || .357 || .000 || .750 || 5.3 || 2.7 || 2.0 || 0.0 || 2.7 || 8.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| [[2004 WNBA Playoffs|2004]]<sup>†</sup>
| align="left" | [[2004 Seattle Storm season|Seattle]]
| '''8''' || '''8''' || 31.0 || .329 || .250 || .667 || '''5.5''' || '''3.5''' || 1.3 || 0.0 || 3.1 || 7.4
|-
| align="left" | [[2007 WNBA Playoffs|2007]]
| align="left" | [[2007 Indiana Fever season|Indiana]]
| 6 || 5 || 30.8 || '''.373''' || '''.500''' || .500 || 5.3 || 2.2 || 1.0 || '''0.2''' || 0.8 || 8.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| [[2008 WNBA Playoffs|2008]]<sup>†</sup>
| align="left" | [[2008 Detroit Shock season|Detroit]]
| 6 || 0 || 5.0 || .286 || .000 || '''1.000''' || 0.5 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" | 5 years, 5 teams
| 26 || 16 || 24.8 || .342 || .273 || .690 || 4.0 || 2.0 || 1.1 || 0.0 || 1.8 || 6.5
{{S-end}}

==Later life==
Sam served as the assistant coach of women's basketball for [[Eastern Illinois University]] from 2013 to 2017.  From 2017 to 2019 she was director of athletics, advancement officer, for [[Mercy High School (San Francisco)|Mercy High School]] in [[San Francisco]], and from 2019 to 2020 director of athletics for athletic advancement at [[the Bay School of San Francisco]].

In September 2020 Sam was named the managing director of the Northern California PGA Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former WNBA All-Star, Sheri Sam, Named Managing Director of Northern California PGA Foundation|url=https://www.pga.com/story/former-wnba-all-star-sheri-sam-named-managing-director-of-northern-california-pga-section|access-date=2021-07-08|website=www.pga.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="1996 Jones Cup">{{cite web|date=June 10, 2010|title=1996 Women's R. William Jones Cup|url=http://www.usab.com/history/additional-usa-basketball-history/r-williams-jones-cup-team/1996-womens-r-william-jones-cup.aspx|publisher=USA Basketball|accessdate=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907023857/http://www.usab.com/history/additional-usa-basketball-history/r-williams-jones-cup-team/1996-womens-r-william-jones-cup.aspx|archive-date=7 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
*[http://www.eiupanthers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=668&path=wbball Eastern Illinois Panthers coaching bio]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050303180318/http://www.wnba.com/playerfile/sheri_sam/index.html?nav=page  WNBA.com: Sheri Sam Bio]

{{1999 WNBA draft}}
{{Seattle Storm 2004 WNBA Champions}}
{{Detroit Shock 2008 WNBA champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam, Sheri}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:All-American college women's basketball players]]
[[Category:American expatriate basketball people in Greece]]
[[Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel]]
[[Category:American women's basketball players]]
[[Category:Charlotte Sting players]]
[[Category:Detroit Shock players]]
[[Category:Eastern Illinois Panthers women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Indiana Fever players]]
[[Category:Miami Sol players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Lynx players]]
[[Category:Orlando Miracle players]]
[[Category:San Jose Lasers players]]
[[Category:Seattle Storm players]]
[[Category:Small forwards]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Lafayette, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball players]]
[[Category:WNBA All-Stars]]