Storm Roster Roundup: What Will Katie Lou Samuelson’s Role Be?
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Seattle Storm forward Katie Lou Samuelson shoots a free throw as a rookie while a member of the Chicago Sky in 2019. [/caption]
The Seattle Storm are nearing the WNBA Draft on April 14 and will begin their preseason soon after on May 4. It will be head coach Noelle Quinn’s fifth season leading the franchise and the first without franchise legend Jewell Loyd, ushering in a new era of Storm basketball.
As the 2025 season approaches, we will profile each of the 14 players currently on Seattle’s roster, exploring the best- and worst-case scenarios for each player while also examining realistic expectations. Then we will discuss the team’s draft selections and what they could add to the team.
Beginning her second stint with the Storm, can forward Katie Lou Samuelson be more than a deep bench option this season?
Background
Samuelson (6-foot-3) was dominant at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. She averaged 29.2 points and 9.4 rebounds as a junior and was the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior as the nation’s top player. Samuelson committed to UConn and joined the Huskies as a freshman for the 2015–16 season.
UConn won the national championship in her first season, and Samuelson played in 37 games (22 starts). Samuelson averaged 11 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1 steal per game. But Samuelson’s sophomore season was her best offensively, averaging 20.2 points and starting all 37 of the Huskies’ games in 2016–17. Samuelson went on to earn three First-Team All-AAC honors and was a two-time AP First-Team All-American. The Chicago Sky selected Samuelson fourth overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft.
Samuelson hasn’t evolved into the superstar in the league that she was in high school and college. She played just one season in Chicago before being traded to the Dallas Wings for the 2020 season. Never latching on as a starter in Dallas either, Samuelson was again traded to Seattle before the 2021 WNBA season. Samuelson was a full-time starter with the Storm in 2021 for the first time in her career, averaging 7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. She also shot a career-high 45.6 percent from the field.
Traded for the third time in three seasons, the Storm dealt Samuelson and the No. 9 overall pick to the Los Angeles Sparks for forward Gabby Williams, who is still with Seattle. Samuelson set career-highs in LA, posting 9.7 points, 3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1 steal.
Samuelson missed the 2023 season due to maternity leave, struggled to produce in one season with the Indiana Fever in 2024 and signed with the Storm on Feb. 21.
Best Case Scenario
Outplaying all three of Seattle’s third-round picks, Samuelson secures her roster spot. She also earns more minutes than veteran post Alysha Clark and unproven prospect Li Yueru. That still keeps Samuelson fairly deep in the rotation but also gives her enough time on the court to resemble her averages with the Storm from 2021.
It becomes a bounce-back season for Samuelson, 27, who becomes part of Seattle’s long-term plans with other post players nearing the end of their careers.
Worst Case Scenario
The Storm may go with post players in the third round, and the younger prospects could threaten Samuelson’s roster candidacy. If she is outplayed in training camp, she will be at risk of being let go before the 2025 season even begins. Then, if signed elsewhere, Samuelson would have to play on her sixth team in as many seasons.
What to Expect in 2025
Samuelson has a good chance to be on the regular season roster. The Storm seemingly have nine players locked in — including Samuelson — plus whoever they select at No. 2 overall. If Seattle keeps 11 players, that leaves just one more spot for the training camp contract players and the team’s third-round picks.
Unless one of the rookies significantly outplays Samuelson, she will likely be an end-of-the-bench rotational player this season. Even if she’s playing at a high level, there probably won’t be enough minutes available for her to resemble her 2022 season with the Sparks.
Injuries to other players, however, could change that, and Samuelson could be asked to step up under various circumstances. She will be a high-quality role player.
