Samantha is the daughter of well-known Australian basketball players Ray and Sandra Tomlinson. She grew up in basketball stadiums while both her parents were still playing and then while her mother was secretary to the legendary Lindsay Gaze (player then coach of numerous mens Australian Olympic teams as well as NBL team, Melbourne Tigers.

Sams mother and father met on the circuit of the National Mens and Womens Olympic teams. Her mother was a 16 year veteran on the Australian Womens National Team (Opals) and played at three World Championships while her father was a three-time playing Olympian at Montreal, Mexico and Munich Olympics, a coaching Olympian at the Seoul Olympics and twice a member of the Australian World Championship Team (Yugoslavia 70 and Puerto Rico 73). Another highlight of his playing career was as a team member of the touring company, the Globetrotters.

When Samantha was born, 1973, Ray was coaching in Australias National Basketball League Coaching a Men's Pro Team as well as the Womens National Basketball Team. Sandra was not only playing mom, but was also playing with the Australian National Team and in the Womens National Basketball League. Upon retirement, Sandra diversified and opened the Tullamarine Swim School, where 500 clients still come each week to learn to swim. Sams sisters Clarissa, Priscilla, and Louella soon joined the family. With a household full of girls, Ray saw the need to start a girls basketball club and Melbourne Tigers Girls Basketball Club it was for the Tomlinson family. This club, now one of the oldest junior clubs in Australia, has produced many WNBL and Olympic players.

As a junior, Sam found success with the Melbourne Tigers as well as at the national level of competition with the Tigers. Her state team was the Junior National Champion in Australia all five years in which she competed.

In 1989 Sam received a scholarship to the elite Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, where she lived and played for two years. During her stay at the AIS she represented Australia with the Australian National Junior Team. In 1993, her experience included playing around the world on the Australian National Junior Team against the likes of Rebecca Lobo, Dawn Staley, and Lisa Leslie. The season was capped by a gold medal performance over Russia in the World Junior Championships, finishing four places ahead of the U.S. team.

Sams collegiate career began at Auburn University of Montgomery (NAIA) before transferring to NCAA Division I, Troy State University on athletic scholarship. Her career at Troy included Conference Championships and the NCAA National Tournament. WNBA for the Utah Starzz was the next step after college.

Sam moved into the coaching ranks in 2001 as the Director of Basketball Operations at Auburn University, where the Tigers earned a WNIT Championship and advanced to the second round of NCAA Tournament. In 2004/2005 saw Sam at Georgia Tech as an administrator for the womens basketball program, followed by a business manager position at Kennesaw State University from 2005 through 2006.

Sams sister Clarissa is currently an Assistant Coach at NCAA Division One Samford University while her youngest sister Louella is coming off a successful first season at St. Marys College, setting the NCAA Division One single-season block record.

Sam knows and understands the demands of a sporting life. Building on the knowledge and experience Sam has gained from her own successful sporting and academic career she has taken her collective experiences and contacts into her present position, as CEO of Aussie Sports America, offering an honest and reliable service to the collegiate sporting world.