“This feels like a full circle moment. I am thrilled to be back with the Storm, reunited with Noey and so many players that I’ve played alongside over the years,” Katie Lou Samuelson expressed her feelings after signing a one-year contract with the Seattle Storm in February. She wanted to prove herself in the league and live up to her National Champion status, but fate once again took it all away from her, without her having set foot on the court.

UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson had a strong resume. She was National Player of the Year, a Three-time All-American and AAC MOP award winner, a perfect selection as the fourth overall pick in the WNBA. But multiple injuries hit her WNBA career hard. In six seasons, she played for five different franchises before rejoining the Storm.

In her rookie season with the Chicago Sky in 2019, Samuelson suffered a hand injury, keeping her away for a significant period of time. In 2023, she took a pregnancy break and, upon her return to the league with the Indiana Fever. However, the saga continued. A broken foot, ankle injury, and even a back one. Now, just as the player was looking to begin again with the Seattle franchise, she is once again sidelined for a complete season due to an ACL injury. It’s devastating, and Katie couldn’t hold back on it. But the star has support from her franchise, teammates, and also from her family. Her elder sister, Karlie Samuelson, who has closely seen Katie’s struggle, shared a heartfelt post.

“I love you Lou, I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working and how excited you were for this year.” She wrote in her social media post. “I know you’ll come back stronger from this bcuz that’s who you are. With you through it all,” Knowing Katie’s fighter character and showing support to her, the Minnesota Lynx forward posted. She also added a photo of them hugging each other, which showed the close bond they shared.

The sisters played together at the Seattle franchise back in 2021, and Karlie knew how important this chance was for Katie to make a name for herself and settle in the league. The 27-year-old forward had dealt with multiple injuries in her basketball career, but she came back stronger every time and fought for her place on the team.

Sadly, an ACL injury can widely impact any athlete’s game. It can lead to long-term complications, including osteoarthritis, knee instability, and potential damage to other knee structures. This not only limits the athletes’ in-game movement, but it can also affect daily activities. Knowing the effect of the injury, fans have also shown their support for Katie.

Support pours in for Katie Lou Samuelson

After learning of her injury, fans showed a mix of grief, frustration, and concern. However, all rallied behind her with support. “So sad. Was rooting for her to have a great year.” Wrote one fan, who, like most of the UConn fans, wanted to see their star shine on the WNBA platform. Katie was expected to be a key rotation player for the Storm, a team that has undergone significant roster changes, including the additions of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins.

Another fan could not hide their frustration, saying, “Hate this for her!!!! Sending many prayers and good vibes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery!”

One fan raised the question over practices, adding Amoore’s example also in her comment. She wrote, “Whyyyyyy is everyone tearing their ACLs? Georgia Amoore, Katie Lou Samuelson. I mean, what the hell is going on with these practices!?” The Mystics will also be without Amoore’s services after she got injured in a practice session. This should cause alarm bells to ring because women are already eight times more likely to be struck by an ACL injury than men, and as per NIH data from 2020, a total of 131 WNBA players had a documented history of ACL injury then. The numbers haven’t gotten much better since.

Within the Seattle franchise itself, there are two more players on the injury list – Jordan Horston and Nika Muhl. Both have been ruled out of the 2025 season, owing to ACL injuries. Muhl got hers in October with Turkish club Besiktas, and Horston in February while playing in the Athletes Unlimited league. So, the team is now in a tough position.

Hence, some fans were not too optimistic when it came to their competing chances. “With the injury to Jordan Horston, and now Katie Lou Samuelson as well, I’m going to have to move the Storm down in my power rankings,” wrote one fan in his post.

While fans were excited to see her development continue, the injury has now brought that momentum to a halt. However, like always, we can expect Samuelson to fight back. Meanwhile, she will definitely be seen cheering her new team from the sidelines.