Storm forward Katie Lou Samuelson will miss the 2025 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during training camp on Thursday, the team announced Saturday.
The loss leaves Seattle short-handed heading into Sunday’s 3 p.m. exhibition against the Connecticut Sun at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Storm will also be without forward Gabby Williams and center Ezi Magbegor as well as touted rookie Dominique Malonga. The trio recently concluded playing overseas and coach Noelle Quinn plans to ramp up their workload in preparation of the upcoming 44-game schedule — the longest in league history.
The Storm brought 12 relative newcomers to training camp, but the 27-year-old Samuelson, a 6-foot-3 wing, was seemingly poised to fill a critical role in her second stint in Seattle.
In 2021, she averaged 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 20.6 minutes while starting 24 out of 27 games with the Storm. She also shot 45.6% from the field and 35.1% on three-pointers — both career highs.
In 2022, Seattle traded Samuelson and its No. 9 pick in the 2022 draft to the Los Angeles Sparks for Williams. Samuelson averaged a career-high 9.7 points and 3.0 rebounds that season with the Sparks.
She sat out the 2023 season due to maternity leave and returned in 2024 with the Indiana Fever on a two-year, $355,000 contract. Last season she averaged 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 34.9% on field goals and 33% on three-pointers.
After agreeing to a $106,419 buyout, Samuelson signed a one-year deal worth $90,000 with the Storm.
The move to Seattle reunited her with Williams — the former Connecticut Huskies played the 2019 season together with the Chicago Sky — former Sparks teammates Nneka Ogwumike and Lexie Brown and former Fever teammate Erica Wheeler.
“Going into this offseason was a bit of change that I wasn’t really expecting,” Samuelson said Tuesday at the team’s media day. “But once going into free agency I really wanted to go somewhere where I felt comfortable going into. I felt like Seattle and talking to (Quinn) gave me that comfort knowing I can come back here and have a chance to play and contribute in a way that has opportunity and a chance to win a lot of games.
“I’m happy to be back. It feels nice to be here.”
Samuelson is the third Storm who suffered an ACL injury that wipes away the upcoming WNBA season, including forward Jordan Horston and guard Nika Muhl.
The Storm now have 15 players in training camp and must reduce the roster to 11 or 12 before the regular season begins May 17.
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