WNBA player Samuelson joins Vandy staff in non-coaching role

By The Associated Press
FILE - Los Angeles Sparks forward Katie Lou Samuelson, right, drives past Connecticut Sun guard Courtney Williams during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Aug. 11, 2022, in Los Angeles. Samuelson, the former UConn star and current WNBA player, has been hired as Vanderbilt's director of player development for women's basketball. Samuelson will assist with recruiting and strategy for Vanderbilt during her offseason, the school announced Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mark J. Terrill]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former UConn star and current WNBA player Katie Lou Samuelson has been hired as Vanderbilt’s director of player development for women’s basketball. Samuelson plays for the Los Angeles Sparks and will assist with recruiting and strategy for the Commodores. Samuelson helped UConn win the 2016 NCAA title, when Vandy coach Shea Ralph was an assistant coach for the Huskies. Ralph says Samuelson is “one of the hardest-working, most competitive players I have ever coached.” Samuelson was a two-time American Athletic Conference player of the year in 2017 and 2018 and finished her career fourth on the Huskies’ all-time scoring list.

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