Karlie Samuelson is an American professional basketball player currently playing as a guard for the Washington Mystics in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Known for her sharpshooting skills, particularly from beyond the three-point line, Karlie has carved out a notable career despite going undrafted in 2017.
Raised in an athletic family, she is the daughter of Jon Samuelson, a former basketball player at Cal State Fullerton and in England, and Karen Samuelson, a former netball player for the England national team.
Karlie’s journey in basketball began at Stanford University, where she played alongside her older sister, Bonnie, before embarking on a professional career that has taken her across the WNBA and international leagues.
Siblings
Karlie is the middle child of three sisters, all of whom have been deeply involved in basketball, reflecting their parents’ athletic influence.
Bonnie Samuelson, the eldest, born in 1992, played college basketball at Stanford University from 2011 to 2015, overlapping with Karlie during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
A skilled three-point shooter like her sisters, Bonnie was named to the All-Pac-12 Team and helped Stanford reach the NCAA Final Four in 2014.
After graduating with a degree in human biology, she pursued a career in optometry, earning her Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern California College of Optometry in 2020, and has since stepped away from competitive basketball.
Katie Lou Samuelson, the youngest, born on June 13, 1997, took a different path, choosing to attend the University of Connecticut (UConn) instead of Stanford.
At UConn, she won two national championships (2015, 2016), was named AAC Player of the Year twice, and earned First-Team All-America honors.
Drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Katie Lou currently plays for the Indiana Fever and has also played overseas, notably with Karlie at Perfumerías Avenida in Spain.
Career
Karlie began her journey at Edison High School in Huntington Beach before transferring to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, where she played alongside Katie Lou.
At Stanford from 2013 to 2017, Karlie developed into a standout three-point shooter, helping the Cardinal reach the NCAA Final Four in 2014 and 2017, though a sprained ankle limited her in the 2017 semifinal loss.
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After graduating with a degree in human biology, she went undrafted in the 2017 WNBA Draft but earned a training camp contract with the Los Angeles Sparks.
A foot fracture sidelined her initially, but she debuted with the Sparks in 2018, playing 20 games.
Her early WNBA career was marked by short stints and waivers, including time with the Dallas Wings in 2019 and 2020, where she briefly joined Katie Lou.
Karlie’s career gained momentum through international play, starting with Pallacanestro Vigarano in Italy’s Serie A1 in 2017-18, followed by stints with BC Castors Braine in Belgium, Perfumerías Avenida in Spain (where she played with Katie Lou and won the 2020-21 Spanish League title), and the Townsville Fire in Australia.
She returned to the Sparks in 2021 and joined Katie Lou on the Seattle Storm later that year, marking their first official WNBA season together.
In 2023, Karlie had a breakout season with the Sparks, starting 23 games and averaging career highs of 7.7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, ranking sixth in the league in three-point shooting percentage (42.6%).
Ahead of the 2024 season, she signed a two-year contract with the Washington Mystics, where she has continued to showcase her all-around game.
Internationally, Karlie represents Great Britain, leveraging her mother’s citizenship, and has competed in EuroBasket Women 2019 and Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
Accolades
Karlie’s career is highlighted by a range of accolades that underscore her skill and impact.
At Stanford, she was named to the 2017 NCAA Lexington Regional All-Tournament Team and earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention in her senior year, finishing among the top five in school history for three-pointers made.
Her professional accolades include winning the 2020-21 Spanish League Championship with Perfumerías Avenida and the 2023-24 EuroCup Women Championship with the London Lions, where she was named Finals MVP after averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and an efficiency of 17.0 across the two-game final.
During the 2023-24 EuroCup season, she was also selected as the Player of the Month for February 2024, leading the Lions to a quarterfinal victory with a 44-point performance over two games.
In the WNBA, Karlie’s 2023 season with the Sparks saw her finish sixth in the league in three-point shooting percentage (42.6%) and achieve a career-high 94.1% from the free-throw line, demonstrating her consistency as a shooter.
Internationally, she played a key role in Great Britain’s fourth-place finish at EuroBasket Women 2019, averaging 11.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Her high school achievements include winning the 2013 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 1AA Championship with Mater Dei.