Family, friends and teammates call her “Lou,” but future opponents might refer to Katie Lou Samuelson as a national champion.
The Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-3 senior wing — widely considered the No. 1 girls basketball prospect in the nation — signed a letter of intent of the first day of the early signing period last week to play for Connecticut alongside USA Basketball teammates Napheesa Collier of Incarnate Word Academy (St Louis, Mo.) and De’Janae Boykin of Charles H. Flowers (Springdale, Md.) High. UConn is the defending national champ and a perennial favorite.
The three UConn recruits are members of the American Family Insurance All-USA girls basketball preseason team.
Samuelson said she appreciates the Huskies’ tight-knit bond, which reminds her of her close relationships with her star older sisters Karlie and Bonnie, both of whom play at Stanford.
“My sisters have always been there for me, and they supported my college decision,” Samuelson said. “Since I’ll be across the country, knowing that I have support in my team will be really good.
“This will be the first time I’ll be on my own, experiencing the world by myself. I’m pretty nervous, but excited.”
The family rivalry might have begun this week. Stanford ended UConn’s 47-game winning streak Monday, 88-86 in overtime. Katie Lou’s sisters combined for 22 points off the bench. On Tuesday, Stanford replaced UConn atop the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll.
“I was disappointed that UConn lost, but I was still so excited for my sisters and how well they played. It was a great game to watch,” Samuelson said.
Katie Lou Samuelson averaged 26 points and 10.1 rebounds and led Mater Dei to the quarterfinals of the Open Division state tournament and a 27-3 record last season. She was named the Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year and was a member of the All-USA team.
Samuelson aims to build on last year’s success after spending the offseason elevating team chemistry with frequent trips to Chipotle, organizing sleepovers and volunteering together for a community walk. She said she looks forward to stepping into the leadership role once again, drawing from her experiences as a member of the gold-medal winning USA Basketball under-16 team.
“She’s proven against the best players in the country,” said Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan, who enters his eighth season with the Monarchs. “She learned a lot from her experiences with USA Basketball, and she’s brought that back to us. She’s become a strong leader.”
Junior forward Ally Rosenblum added that Samuelson’s disposition has drawn teammates closer and influenced her to adopt an equally dedicated mentality and well-rounded approach to the game.
Kiernan is confident Samuelson will carry it forward to the Huskies next fall. But for now, “I want her to enjoy the journey this year. She has goals — she wants to win and be the best player in the country,” he said. “She’s going to have a great year. She’ll be fun to watch.”