A key player for Perfumerías Avenida, performing at an exceptional level in the EuroLeague (earned a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team), and traded from Dallas to Seattle in exchange for the number one pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 2020-21 season has been Katie Lou Samuelson’s. We spoke with her for our March issue of Gigantes magazine.

Gigantes: How did your basketball story begin?

Katie Lou Samuelson: I started playing when I was 5, following my two older sisters. They would play, and I would be on the sidelines. We grew up training with our dad, who taught us how to shoot and improve. In the end, we all ended up shooting in a similar way.

G: However, your paths have been very different.

KLS: Karlie decided to go to Stanford with Bonnie, but I wanted to follow my own path when my recruitment process began. I wanted what was best for me, not just to follow in my sisters’ footsteps. It could have been Stanford, but I felt that UConn was the best fit for me. Also, Karlie plays for Great Britain and I play for the United States. It’s great to be reunited in Salamanca, since we haven’t played together since high school.

G: How much did Karlie influence your decision to go to Salamanca to play?

KLS: I don’t know how I would have made that decision without her. Avenida is a great club: it has a fantastic atmosphere and an amazing history. I wanted to play with Karlie again. She was a pretty big factor in my decision. After graduating from college, we had talked about the possibility of playing together. We knew it could happen, and it’s been a wonderful journey: playing together, both of us being starters, being undefeated…

G: In the EuroLeague, excluding your debut and the last game, when you had already qualified, you’ve posted efficiency ratings of 24, 28, 29, and 17 in 4 key games. With you on the court, Avenida has a +118 point differential in 6 games.

KLS: The EuroLeague has gone very well for me. I was able to play the way I know how, especially in the second bubble. I don’t know if everyone expected us to play so well. We’re very happy to have been able to do what we did.

G: You have 31 wins and 0 losses. People expected a good season, but this…

KLS: It’s very exciting. I don’t know how common it is for teams to go this far undefeated. We want to put ourselves in a position where we have a chance to win every game. We’re doing a good job with our game-by-game approach; we focus on each match individually, we don’t have a big picture in our heads. That’s what’s giving us the chance to win every game.

G: Have you prepared for the day you might lose?

KLS: We understand that the Liga Femenina Endesa is very good, there are very talented teams. We prepare for every game as if it were the most important. We’re going to have ups and downs, but we want to make sure we compete for all 40 minutes. If one of those games, where we give it our all, ends in a loss, we can live with it. If we don’t try or we give up, I’m sure we’d all be disappointed.

G: Now Bella Alarie, your teammate in Dallas, has arrived.

KLS: She’s going to be a huge help. She’s a great addition as a person and as a player. We aren’t making any major adjustments because everything is working so well, so she’s here to help us, adapt, and make things easier so we feel comfortable in every game. She can help us on the boards and on defense, changing shots.

G: You recently said that on this team you could play more freely and in your natural position. Is that why we’re seeing you at this level?

KLS: I feel very confident, with the support of the staff and my teammates. I can play inside or outside; I don’t necessarily need to be put in a specific position. I have very versatile teammates around me who make things easier, and we have a wide variety of weapons and options. Opponents have to focus on many different players on the court.

G: Roberto Íñiguez commented that you could also be a top player in Europe and the United States playing as a small forward (3) in the future. KLS: It depends on the team. Roberto and I expected me to play more at the small forward position this season, but due to injuries and the team’s success, it’s more beneficial for me to play power forward (4). Who knows what I’ll be in the future? One of the things I’m most proud of is being able to play in the position where I can best contribute to the team’s success.

“Even playing power forward in games, I continue working with the perimeter players in practice, improving my skills.”

G: Speaking of Íñiguez, why is he a special coach for you?

KLS: In my specific case, he has allowed me to play freely. Even playing power forward in games, I still work with the perimeter players in practice, improving my skills as a perimeter player. She pushes me to work on defense, play aggressively, and be able to read offenses and defenses. She’s doing a great job.

G: How difficult is it to play away from home?

KLS: It’s tough and complicated being in a place completely different from where you grew up. Luckily, I have my sister here, and having someone familiar nearby makes me feel much more comfortable. That’s been a great thing about Avenida. But being away from home and the daily routine of playing and training is a challenge for the mind.

G: Now that you mention the mental aspect: you have a permanent link on Instagram to a suicide prevention organization.

KLS: The mental aspect is very important, especially for young female athletes, and there’s a certain stigma surrounding it. As you get older, it gets better; people are more open to expressing the positive aspects of being open about your mental health and seeking help, of not worrying about what other people think. I have it on my profile because you never know who might need it or who might stumble across your page. I’m passionate about this issue and want to continue helping to eliminate the stigma.

G: Your Twitter bio is brief but intriguing: “There’s no crying in baseball,” you state. What’s the story behind it?

KLS: It’s a line from the movie ‘A League of Their Own.’ Geno Auriemma told it to me at UConn during my sophomore year. I liked the movie, and I thought it was funny that he said it to me during a game. It’s stuck with me ever since.

“Larry Bird has inspired me to keep going. That’s why I chose my number 33.”

G: The line sounds very much like Larry Bird’s mindset.

KLS: I’m a huge Larry Bird fan. He was very tough, very dedicated, didn’t make excuses, and did what he had to do to get the job done. He’s inspired me to keep going. That’s why I chose number 33.

G: Let’s talk about the United States. You were recently traded to Seattle. If you reunited with your sister this year, you’ll be reunited with Breanna Stewart there.

KLS: It’s great. I love Stewie. She was a senior, and I was a freshman at UConn. We played together on Team USA. I’m excited to play with her again.

G: Is Seattle one of the teams that plays a style most similar to what we see in Europe?

KLS: Yes, definitely. Seattle does a great job playing as a team, using each other to succeed. They don’t need to play one-on-one; there’s a lot of cutting to the basket and team dynamics. That’s why they have good chemistry; they trust each other to be in the best possible position to succeed.

G: If nothing changes, you’ll also be teammates with Sue Bird, one of the greatest point guards of all time.

KLS: I love playing with her on the national team. I got to compete against her in Serbia last year, in the Olympic qualifiers. Being around her and seeing what she does every day… She’s one of the smartest players in basketball history.

G: Silvia and Maite in the winter; Bird and Canada in the summer. It’s a real treat!

KLS: It’s incredible to be able to play with some of the best point guards in Spain and the United States (laughs).