Los Angeles Sparks Official Release

The Los Angeles Sparks announced today the acquisition of Katie Lou Samuelson and the 2022 No. 9 draft pick from the Seattle Storm in exchange for Gabby Williams.

Katie Lou Samuelson is a Huntington Beach, California native and the sister of former Sparks guard Karlie Samuelson. The 6-foot-3 forward was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky after an illustrious career at the University of Connecticut. Last season for the Seattle Storm she averaged 7.0 points and 3.5The Los Angeles Sparks announced today the acquisition of Katie Lou Samuelson and the 2022 No. 9 draft pick from the Seattle Storm in exchange for Gabby Williams. rebounds in 21 minutes per game, while shooting 35.1% on 3-pointers.

“We’re excited to add Katie Lou Samuelson to our team,” General Manager/Head Coach Derek Fisher said. “In addition to her perimeter shooting, Katie Lou brings defensive versatility and length. She has great on-court instincts and we’re excited to build with her moving forward.”

LA will send Gabby Williams to Seattle in return. LA acquired Williams on May 9, 2021 in a trade with the Chicago Sky for Stephanie Watts and Leonie Fiebich. Williams sat out the 2021 season due to French National team commitments. In three WNBA seasons with the Sky, Williams has averaged 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

“The addition of Katie Lou Samuelson, a first-round pick, plus meaningful cap space provides us the flexibility needed to strengthen our 2022 roster at multiple positions,” Fisher added. “This trade also increases our draft assets and better positions ourselves for future success. We wish Gabby Williams nothing but the best in Seattle.”

Seattle Storm Offical Release

SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm announced today the team has acquired forward Gabby Williams from the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for forward Katie Lou Samuelson and Seattle’s first-round pick (No. 9 overall) in the 2022 WNBA Draft.

“Gabby is a versatile player that brings a dynamic skill set to our team,” said Talisa Rhea, Storm General Manager. “As we have watched her develop in the WNBA and excel internationally we are thrilled she will be joining us in Seattle and believe she can have immediate impact on our roster.”

Williams, a three-year WNBA vet, was Chicago’s No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft after a standout career at UConn. She played three seasons for the Sky where she averaged 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals pers game before being traded to Los Angeles in 2021. Williams did not play in 2021 WNBA season while training with the French National Team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. She went on to average 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game to help lead France to a Bronze medal—just the second time the French have medaled at the Olympics.

Williams is currently playing with Sopron Basket (Hungary) along with fellow Storm newcomer Briann January. In EuroLeague play this season, Williams is leading the team with 13.5 points per game while also contributing 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Sopron is second in EuroLeague Group B with an 8-6 record and qualified Wednesday for its second-straight trip to the quarterfinal round. In 2020-21, Williams was an All-EuroLeague First-Team selection and the EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year, finishing second with 2.1 steals per game and ninth with 15.9 points per contest while also averaging 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game.

Williams was a two-time NCAA Champion and 2017 National Defensive Player of the Year at UConn where she helped the Huskies to a 148-3 record in four seasons. She finished her collegiate career as one of only eight UConn players to record 1,000 point and 1,000 rebounds, a list which includes Storm forward Breanna Stewart.