Sam Brunelle

About

Basketball coach and former basketball player known for playing college basketball at Notre Dame and Virginia before she became an assistant coach for the Navy women's basketball team in June 2025. She is also known for her Instagram and TikTok accounts where she shares basketball and coaching career updates, coaching content, workout clips, lifestyle posts, and brand partnerships with her followers.

Before fame

She began playing basketball when she was 3 years old because her mother was a coach. She attended William Monroe High School where she was ranked number six overall by espnW in the Class of 2019 and was named a 2019 McDonald's High School All-American before playing at Notre Dame. She played three seasons at Notre Dame from 2019 to 2022 and played two seasons at Virginia as a graduate student.

Trivia

She won Team USA gold in 3x3 basketball at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. She was named to the Katrina McClain Award Watch List in 2020 and 2021 while at Notre Dame and in 2022 and 2023 while at Virginia.

Family life

She is the daughter of Katie and Rod Brunelle and is an only child. Her father played baseball at Grand Valley State University and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. Her mother Katie played basketball.

Associated with

She won USA Basketball gold with Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, and Hailey Van Lith in 2018.