The Indiana Fever made a roster announcement on Monday.
"we have mutually parted ways with forward Katie Lou Samuelson," the team's account wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "wishing you all the best, Lou."
Indiana and Samuelson made the mutual decision to part ways. The Fever are seemingly prepared to move forward in a different direction and the same can be said for Samuelson.
Katie Lou Samuelson's WNBA career
Samuelson was selected in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. She appeared in 20 games during her rookie season, averaging 2.4 points per outing. It should be noted that she received only 7.7 minutes per game.
Her Sky career was brief, as she joined the Dallas Wings for the 2020 season. Brief tenures with teams have told the story of her career, as Samuelson has yet to spend more than one season with any team. Samuelson played with the Seattle Storm in 2021, Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and Fever in 2024. She did not play in 2023 because she was pregnant.
From 2020-2022, Samuelson continued to improve. She saw her minutes increase which also led to an overall production increase. Her best season so far came in 2022 with the Storm, when she averaged 9.7 points and 29.5 minutes per game.
In 2024 with the Fever, though, Samuelson saw just 18.2 minutes per outing. She ended up recording 4.3 points per game. One has to imagine that she will be looking to join a team that can give her more playing time. Perhaps a team such as the Storm could be the right fit for Samuelson.
Indiana Fever moving in a different direction
Indiana is hoping to compete once again in 2025. Caitlin Clark stole headlines throughout the 2024 season as she established herself as one of the best and most popular players in the entire WNBA. With Clark leading the way, the Fever should be able to make another competitive run.
Kelsey Mitchell is also a superstar. She recently re-signed with the Fever, a move that will prove to be of the utmost importance during the upcoming season.
The Fever understand the importance of depth as well. As a result, losing Samuelson will not help their situation. Nevertheless, Indiana expects to compete during the upcoming 2025 campaign. Meanwhile, Katie Lou Samuelson is now focused on looking for her next team in the WNBA.