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# Storm’s Katie Lou Samuelson Out Final 4 Games After Knee Surgery
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/storms-katie-lou-samuelson-out-final-4-games/
- Published: 2026-09-11T20:33:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:13:26.000Z
- Author: Connor Benintendi
- Tags: News, Analysis, Storm, Katie Lou Samuelson, Ezi Magbegor

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/260715_at-chi_naegele-27-format-original.jpg)

Receiving their second dose of bad news in as many days, the Seattle Storm will be without forward Katie Lou Samuelson for the final four games of the WNBA season after she underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee, the team announced on Friday, Sept. 11.

Samuelson, who missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, has sporadically missed time at various points throughout the 2026 season. She has still managed to play in 32 games (one start) and has averaged 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 15.3 minutes per game.

The two major injuries appear unrelated, as Samuelson tore her right ACL last season. It’s unclear exactly when Samuelson suffered the current injury, but either she or the Storm decided to have her get surgery during the FIBA break instead of at the end of the WNBA season. The news also comes just one day after Storm center Ezi Magbegor tore her ACL playing in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Seattle signed Samuelson to a one-year deal before last season, and they re-signed her to a new two-year deal this offseason despite her missing the entire season. She had played a larger role for the Storm late in the season, totaling eight points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in an Aug. 26 victory over the Toronto Tempo.

Storm head coach Sonia Raman will have to fill Samuelson’s depth role with other contributors.

### **Who’s left for Storm?**

Assuming there are no other injuries during the FIBA break, the Storm are now down to nine healthy players: Dominique Malonga, Jade Melbourne, Flau’jae Johnson, Awa Fam, Jordan Horston, Zia Cooke, Stefanie Dolson, Mackenzie Holmes and Taylor Thierry.

Natisha Hiedeman’s status is up in the air, as she has missed the last four Storm games with a shoulder injury. Melbourne has filled in at point guard and done a good job orchestrating Raman’s offensive system.

With Magbegor and Samuelson now out for the season, the starting lineup may end up as Melbourne, Johnson, Horston, Fam and Malonga for the final four games. Dolson, Holmes and Thierry will likely play more than they did most of the season.

This is when it’s somewhat of a plus that the Storm have nothing left to play for this season. The Magbegor and Samuelson injuries are devastating to those players, but they aren’t directly hampering Seattle’s playoff viability or anything of the sort.

That takes some of the pressure off of Raman, but it also hurts the Storm’s chances of reaching the 10-win mark. Regardless of the results in the last four games, this is already a top-3 worst season in Storm franchise history in terms of wins and losses.

The Storm have already set a franchise record with 32 losses, but they dodged the bullet of the fewest wins in a season (six), which was in the team’s inaugural campaign in 2000\. There were only 32 games in a season back then, however, and there are now 44.

Seattle sits at a .200 win percentage (8-32) with four games remaining in the season. They can stay ahead of the 2000 season (.188) if they win even one more game.