Katie Lou was one of the best 3 on 3 players in the country earlier in her career I think she missed the Tokyo olympics due to Covid. I think Unrivaled is going to be great for her.
The one player who led her team in college who can be as good as anyone not named Caitlin is Grace Berger. They need to develop her. give her more responsibilities, stand baxk and reap the benefits.
Saw a glimpse of KLS previous bball skills in the last regular season of Fever against Mystics. I am not counting her out, just needs to catch fire of that competitive spirit she has shown before. My best coach once told me that fatigue makes cowards of us all , KLS was exhausted last season mentally and physically.
People forget that Katie Lou has been on numerous 3x3 championship teams and if she regains her form playing in Unrivaled (assuming that last season due to new motherhood, and illness was an outlier) maybe she sticks with Indiana. She is a great teammate who, even when Lexie replaced her as a starter, cheered her on and the team like all get out. There's something to be said about selflessness.
And Erica Wheeler was also an All-Star MVP. But it doesn't matter, because none of that helps the future of the Fever. Nobody doubts Katie Lou's character. The problem is, she is massively overpaid and her contract is hurting the team
The prior General Manager was the one who saddled the team with Wheeler's max contract and Samuelson's near max contract for what turned out to be pine riders. This doesn't help the team in any way. If they want to negotiate a prove it year and defer salary to future seasons, fine. Short of that, they are anchors around the neck of the team. If they won't renegotiate, the trade them. Get more team friendly players in. You could also consider a cut and sign situation for more manageable terms. Talk to them about future coaching or front office opportunities if they agree to this. They would both be assets in such capacities. As a coach or front office person, their salary doesn't count against the cap. You might consider this. Designate a portion of their salary as their coaching salary and make them player/coaches. Only the portion designated as player salary would count against the cap. You could cut $200,000 from the cap hit by doing this. $110,000 for Wheeler and $90,000 for Samuelson. They could ultimately, when they retire, transition to the front office. That freed up cap space would allow you to sign Kelsey Mitchell to a max deal, with a stipulation for any increase due to the CBA deal. That way you can get a longer term deal done with her. That would allow you to sign Janelle Salaun as well. You would be able to trade Smith for a gaggle of picks and supporting players. It would also keep Grace Berger in the fold. You could tell Dallas "Up yours, we are going to the next suitor", and see if their asking price comes down. It should. If not, talk to New York or Minnesota and see if they're interested. I would suggest Chicago, but I don't see a benefit in trading one Caitlin hater for another Caitlin hater. That's all Chicago has.
2016 NCAA champion KLS was a really good player for UCONN. She was only the 10th UCONN player to reach the 2,000 point mark. She made 119 three pointers in the 2016-2017 season which was the second highest in UCONN history. So she has the UCONN privilege mixed with being at the right place at the right time. Obviously expectations were high to give her that ridiculous contract. Thanks for that Lin. I’m curious if we see something similar from that other UCONN player everyone has been talking about 🤔
@@JE-IC if we went by that Lexi shouldn't have ever played, KLS was coming off a year she had a baby, (no she didn't deserve that contract), but we have seen how badly a certain coach was with players and running the game. They got the number 1 pick back to back for a reason. Let her get a good coach, in a good system, and lets see. If she is bad, the contract is over i think next year. I think she goes back to 45% shooting and 37% from 3.
@@brettwillard8892 I'm hoping Katie Lou worked on her game in the off-season AND uses Unrivaled to further polish up. I really like Katie Lou as a person. She comes across as a positive influence in the locker room, and she's very good at being a member of the "CC Intervention Squad". It would make me happy to see her excel.
I think that she had trouble running with the Caitlin Clark and the Fever. In the beginning of the season Sides was playing 1/2 sets so she didn't have to run much.
Katie Lou is one of the few reasons I will tune into the 3v3 league. She should give a good indication if she will be valuable for the Fever in 2025. If she can get into great shape and hit the three consistently, she will be valuable off the bench (not $185K valuable, but have some real value),
The WNBA is not a 3x3 league. There's a different dynamic in 3x3 than in 5x5. Unless she's willing to cut her salary, she's not the answer. I am not suggesting she take a minimum contract, but $90,000-$100,000 would be much better for a veteran. Call it a "prove it" contract.
KLS should have some serious motivation coming into the season. If she can become a contributor of reasonable value, even if it's off the bench, she could extend her basketball career beyond 2025. If she is ineffective, next year will likely be her last at the pro level and the basketball money will be gone. If she wants to continue to play basketball, she should be going all out to better prepare herself and her game. It would be nice to see her provide some value and she seems like a nice person and a good teammate. We'll see.
Fever also keeping in mind, that Clark and Boston are both on rookie contracts. This is another big problem with the wheeler and KLS contracts. In couple of years, they won't be able to afford them. Both of these players need to take a cut or be traded. Or just simply let go. I get it, they are both good people mentally. But their contracts are massive boat anchors
He knows. He just talks out of his ass all the time. Hated her, need to get rid of her, now all of a sudden she's a key. You cant listen to anything this guy says seriously.
@frederickrobinson95 I agree 💯 with your albatross comment. I really, REALLY hope she has worked on her game during the off season. I hope she comes back with her 3 point shot restored. Bonus if she can actually defend and can run faster. Even if she has her game back, I wouldn't start her. I'd have her come off the bench.
She was fresh off of delivering a baby. Give her this off-season to get herself back to form. If she’s sloppy next season, moves can justifiably be made. But I don’t see that happening. KLS has caught ‘the CC fever’ and I will be HIGHLY surprised if not back ripped and on fire. She knows where this team is going and will do everything she can to stay on that train. Workworkworkworkwork
@@jaysonroberts9395 everybody makes that excuse for her. But if you look up her history ever since she entered the WNBA, you'll see that she was getting waived or traded every year. Her lack of production isn't new.
Dunn really tried to tank the payroll before she was carted off to the sideline. Why??? Why would you max out salaries when your team sucked in the league??? That makes zero sense. Knowing you needed cap space to rebuild.
I truly feel she will be much better with a year behind her since giving birth. She. Ever got into a groove last season but has shown in the past she is a baller!
The Fever has no bench. Give Berger an opportunity to match CC's practice ethic and commit to a backup role to CC and let's see if she can be retained. The rest of the bench should be purged and that includes Smith. Go get a big to give 10-12 minutes per game backing up Boston. Sign Satou and Kelsey. Need a 4 to come off bench to rebound and score garbage points and to bodyguard CC. Katie Lou making those dollars is a travesty. She and those dollars should be eliminated or eaten.
They have very few starters too. They are just bad. Caitlin is beyond HORRIBLE defensively so she can't help you win. Kelsey is bad defensively too. Just a bad team. They better hope they get at least 1 or 2 big name free agents or they'll be bad again. They were terrible last year.
I hope she returns to UConn form. She didn’t show up in great BBall shape and lost some confidence and couldn’t even get in. That said even against shitty teams they attacked her on D. Needs to do more than chuck standstill jumpers. She has good size and knows how to play - all UConn players do
Regrettably, KLS played terribly all season. Instead of helping the team on offense, defense, or contributing to winning in some tangible way, she just took up space. If she can't produce, she should be traded or benched.
If you go back and watch any of the highlight videos from last season KLS really was not that bad early in the season. Quickness and on-ball D definitely not her forte but she did seem to work well with CC, and SHE MADE HER F'ING LAYUPS.
Even before listening to this video, I've been thinking about this: I believe that Katie Lou may be better this year after having her baby in August '23. That's what I'm hoping for, and maybe this 3x3 will help with that also.
To be fair, she had a child. You can't train your body for 25 years and then take off 9 months, give birth, and then just be the same player. I bet she will be closer to her old self.
Of all the Fever players signed to the Unrivaled basketball league, Lexi will benefit most. In 3 on 3 play, a player is forced to look for their own shot from off the dribble for example Kelsey Mitchell. Lexi improving this skill set will be a tremendous weapon added to her offensive arsenal to help her team in the coming season.
KLS was a great teammate and put the team ahead of herself. However she did not play good basketball. She had several reasons for a bad year. Maternity leave, a less than excellent coach, etc. I hope she can come back and play well. She may have been wrongly played as a 3 and could do better as a stretch 4.
She got to the point where her confidence was so low that she wouldnt even shoot wide open 3's, instead she would just pass off. The reason she was in any game was more to shoot the 3 than anything else.
There's a lot of speculation about Erica not being a Fever next season due to age and contract. Maybe that's so but she strikes me as one of those players that you want in your locker room. She appears to be a positive person a great teammate and is funny as hell.
She is an unrestricted free agent and won't be coming back to Indy for much more than the veteran's minimum. She was the highest paid player on the team last season but thankfully that contract is OVER!!
@@suzannecamp1777 and @MrNorcal81 , that may be, but $212,000/year is a lot to pay someone whose basketball performance was mediocre. For enthusiasm and attitude, you can draft a perky college grad at $70,000/year.
Katie Lou can't defend at all, slow and a poor rebounder. She is a fringe rotation player at best. She would need to shoot 40% from three to even be an asset.
I think she'll make you eat your words. I think the Caitlin effect will have her working harder on her game, and be a big factor on the team. I think Caitlin will inspire her by example to be her best.
We do know the power of Caitlin's effect, but I also think Katie Lou has the integrity to work hard and rebound. She knows she had a bad season and clearly cares for the team. I think her own pride will take her a long way.
Katie, having a baby .. I don't know .. but, that's most likely a setback. Hoping you're right Mick, .. she seems like a positive team mate. Last year, was an uncertain, strange season, for the Fever. Everybody's past that, now .. they've got a picture, what to expect this year. Katie, Grace, Erica, Kristy, etc .. they all know, now .. it's too bad, they can only play five, at a time.
Katie Lou Samuelson is a wonderful person, but a TERRIBLE, DISMAL anchor dragging the fever down. When it comes to basketball, she’s an absolute waste of space…CAP space.
really, are you just putting out videos to make money, even if she regains her shooting touch, she brings nothing else to the table. she was mediocre before the Fever, even Seattle didn't rate getting a huge contract. there are and will be more better options available, overseas or coming out of college. they can keep her on the cheap to fill out the bench but she won't do anything to make the Fever better. heck, Nalyssa is way better if they can keep d'jonai out of her head
I don’t think anyone will pay that much for her. It is a bad contract like Wallace. Dunn sure worked against the salary cap. They need to let Wheeler go. To much money
I like both, but I think you are right. She's enjoying being a celebrity now than basketball. We'll see how she's worked on her game come the Rival League.
Katie Lou was one of the best 3 on 3 players in the country earlier in her career I think she missed the Tokyo olympics due to Covid. I think Unrivaled is going to be great for her.
KLS just ran a marathon this off season! She’s getting in better shape so she can run with Caitlin!
You literally know nothing about basketball. Please stop. You are embarrassing yourself.
The one player who led her team in college who can be as good as anyone not named Caitlin is Grace Berger. They need to develop her. give her more responsibilities, stand baxk and reap the benefits.
She needs to be CC’s backup and get several minutes a game end of 1st and 3rd quarter
@@ShaunHensleyYou could also turn her into a hybrid point/shooting guard. Let her back up Kelsey as well a little.
Yes! Use Grace as backup for BOTH Caitlin and Kelsey!
@@JE-IC That's what I think.
Three pgs. Clark, Wheeler and, Berger. Which one is the spare part.
Saw a glimpse of KLS previous bball skills in the last regular season of Fever against Mystics. I am not counting her out, just needs to catch fire of that competitive spirit she has shown before. My best coach once told me that fatigue makes cowards of us all , KLS was exhausted last season mentally and physically.
People forget that Katie Lou has been on numerous 3x3 championship teams and if she regains her form playing in Unrivaled (assuming that last season due to new motherhood, and illness was an outlier) maybe she sticks with Indiana. She is a great teammate who, even when Lexie replaced her as a starter, cheered her on and the team like all get out. There's something to be said about selflessness.
And Erica Wheeler was also an All-Star MVP. But it doesn't matter, because none of that helps the future of the Fever. Nobody doubts Katie Lou's character. The problem is, she is massively overpaid and her contract is hurting the team
The prior General Manager was the one who saddled the team with Wheeler's max contract and Samuelson's near max contract for what turned out to be pine riders. This doesn't help the team in any way. If they want to negotiate a prove it year and defer salary to future seasons, fine. Short of that, they are anchors around the neck of the team. If they won't renegotiate, the trade them. Get more team friendly players in. You could also consider a cut and sign situation for more manageable terms. Talk to them about future coaching or front office opportunities if they agree to this. They would both be assets in such capacities. As a coach or front office person, their salary doesn't count against the cap. You might consider this. Designate a portion of their salary as their coaching salary and make them player/coaches. Only the portion designated as player salary would count against the cap. You could cut $200,000 from the cap hit by doing this. $110,000 for Wheeler and $90,000 for Samuelson. They could ultimately, when they retire, transition to the front office. That freed up cap space would allow you to sign Kelsey Mitchell to a max deal, with a stipulation for any increase due to the CBA deal. That way you can get a longer term deal done with her. That would allow you to sign Janelle Salaun as well. You would be able to trade Smith for a gaggle of picks and supporting players. It would also keep Grace Berger in the fold. You could tell Dallas "Up yours, we are going to the next suitor", and see if their asking price comes down. It should. If not, talk to New York or Minnesota and see if they're interested. I would suggest Chicago, but I don't see a benefit in trading one Caitlin hater for another Caitlin hater. That's all Chicago has.
2016 NCAA champion KLS was a really good player for UCONN. She was only the 10th UCONN player to reach the 2,000 point mark. She made 119 three pointers in the 2016-2017 season which was the second highest in UCONN history.
So she has the UCONN privilege mixed with being at the right place at the right time. Obviously expectations were high to give her that ridiculous contract. Thanks for that Lin.
I’m curious if we see something similar from that other UCONN player everyone has been talking about 🤔
Too bad we didn't see that 3-pointer performance on the Fever last year! Let's hope she does the offseason work to get it back!
@@JE-IC i don't think she was back in playing shape honestly last year. I don't expect that again this year
@@brettwillard8892 let's hope you're right. $180,000/year is a lot to pay for a player who's a poor defender, slow, and misses her shots.
@@JE-IC if we went by that Lexi shouldn't have ever played, KLS was coming off a year she had a baby, (no she didn't deserve that contract), but we have seen how badly a certain coach was with players and running the game. They got the number 1 pick back to back for a reason. Let her get a good coach, in a good system, and lets see. If she is bad, the contract is over i think next year. I think she goes back to 45% shooting and 37% from 3.
@@brettwillard8892 I'm hoping Katie Lou worked on her game in the off-season AND uses Unrivaled to further polish up.
I really like Katie Lou as a person. She comes across as a positive influence in the locker room, and she's very good at being a member of the "CC Intervention Squad". It would make me happy to see her excel.
I think that she had trouble running with the Caitlin Clark and the Fever. In the beginning of the season Sides was playing 1/2 sets so she didn't have to run much.
Katie Lou is one of the few reasons I will tune into the 3v3 league. She should give a good indication if she will be valuable for the Fever in 2025. If she can get into great shape and hit the three consistently, she will be valuable off the bench (not $185K valuable, but have some real value),
The WNBA is not a 3x3 league. There's a different dynamic in 3x3 than in 5x5. Unless she's willing to cut her salary, she's not the answer. I am not suggesting she take a minimum contract, but $90,000-$100,000 would be much better for a veteran. Call it a "prove it" contract.
I think Katie Lou makes 176.000 a year but she's the only who can pick up Caitlin and carry her off the floor.
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
KLS should have some serious motivation coming into the season. If she can become a contributor of reasonable value, even if it's off the bench, she could extend her basketball career beyond 2025. If she is ineffective, next year will likely be her last at the pro level and the basketball money will be gone. If she wants to continue to play basketball, she should be going all out to better prepare herself and her game. It would be nice to see her provide some value and she seems like a nice person and a good teammate. We'll see.
Well, if Boston, Mitchell, and Hull can start the season catching Clark's passes as well as they ended last season, they should be a top 4 team.
Fever also keeping in mind, that Clark and Boston are both on rookie contracts. This is another big problem with the wheeler and KLS contracts. In couple of years, they won't be able to afford them. Both of these players need to take a cut or be traded. Or just simply let go. I get it, they are both good people mentally. But their contracts are massive boat anchors
Wheeler's contract has expired. I hope Fever is smart and does NOT re-sign her.
Mick, last season Katie-Lou played so bad, she pulled herself out of a game or did you forget? Right now Katie-Lou’s contract is the Fever’s albatross
He knows. He just talks out of his ass all the time. Hated her, need to get rid of her, now all of a sudden she's a key. You cant listen to anything this guy says seriously.
@frederickrobinson95 I agree 💯 with your albatross comment.
I really, REALLY hope she has worked on her game during the off season. I hope she comes back with her 3 point shot restored. Bonus if she can actually defend and can run faster.
Even if she has her game back, I wouldn't start her. I'd have her come off the bench.
She was fresh off of delivering a baby. Give her this off-season to get herself back to form. If she’s sloppy next season, moves can justifiably be made. But I don’t see that happening. KLS has caught ‘the CC fever’ and I will be HIGHLY surprised if not back ripped and on fire. She knows where this team is going and will do everything she can to stay on that train.
Workworkworkworkwork
@@jaysonroberts9395 everybody makes that excuse for her.
But if you look up her history ever since she entered the WNBA, you'll see that she was getting waived or traded every year. Her lack of production isn't new.
Dunn really tried to tank the payroll before she was carted off to the sideline. Why??? Why would you max out salaries when your team sucked in the league??? That makes zero sense. Knowing you needed cap space to rebuild.
It is the salary cap that is the problem, not the individual salary amounts.
I truly feel she will be much better with a year behind her since giving birth. She. Ever got into a groove last season but has shown in the past she is a baller!
If Katie has made the New Mom bounceback ala Phee Collier, this is a very good thing.
Nope Trade her Katie Lou , Not worth the money she's getting 💯
Shot the ball well last year WHAT , went 7 for 46 FG , Mick you drunk ?
The Fever has no bench. Give Berger an opportunity to match CC's practice ethic and commit to a backup role to CC and let's see if she can be retained. The rest of the bench should be purged and that includes Smith. Go get a big to give 10-12 minutes per game backing up Boston. Sign Satou and Kelsey. Need a 4 to come off bench to rebound and score garbage points and to bodyguard CC. Katie Lou making those dollars is a travesty. She and those dollars should be eliminated or eaten.
They have very few starters too. They are just bad. Caitlin is beyond HORRIBLE defensively so she can't help you win. Kelsey is bad defensively too. Just a bad team. They better hope they get at least 1 or 2 big name free agents or they'll be bad again. They were terrible last year.
Jajajaja. Nice dream! She's bad. But the Fever are doomed to keep her thanks to the stupidity of Dunn and Sides.
Her best is very good....i genuinely hope so!!
KLS is a good contract in the NBA, not in the WNBA. this is why Dunn is done and Sides needed to step aside
For that kinda contract,she better get in shape or it’s criminal what she’s doing to the Fever
Hope she wakes up one morning and remembers how to play basketball...
KLS is going to light it up this year
Sounds good 👍
I hope she returns to UConn form. She didn’t show up in great BBall shape and lost some confidence and couldn’t even get in. That said even against shitty teams they attacked her on D. Needs to do more than chuck standstill jumpers. She has good size and knows how to play - all UConn players do
Regrettably, KLS played terribly all season. Instead of helping the team on offense, defense, or contributing to winning in some tangible way, she just took up space. If she can't produce, she should be traded or benched.
Another player that Clark has to carry......
She's back boys!
If you go back and watch any of the highlight videos from last season KLS really was not that bad early in the season. Quickness and on-ball D definitely not her forte but she did seem to work well with CC, and SHE MADE HER F'ING LAYUPS.
Even before listening to this video, I've been thinking about this: I believe that Katie Lou may be better this year after having her baby in August '23. That's what I'm hoping for, and maybe this 3x3 will help with that also.
To be fair, she had a child. You can't train your body for 25 years and then take off 9 months, give birth, and then just be the same player. I bet she will be closer to her old self.
Aaaaaaaa Shot not ahhhhhhh shot lol JK
KATIE LOUUUUUUUU!!!!!!
Of all the Fever players signed to the
Unrivaled basketball league, Lexi will benefit most. In 3 on 3 play, a player is forced to look for their own shot from off the dribble for example Kelsey Mitchell. Lexi improving this skill set will be a tremendous weapon added to her offensive arsenal to help her team in the coming season.
Trade Lexi
KLS was a great teammate and put the team ahead of herself. However she did not play good basketball. She had several reasons for a bad year. Maternity leave, a less than excellent coach, etc. I hope she can come back and play well. She may have been wrongly played as a 3 and could do better as a stretch 4.
She got to the point where her confidence was so low that she wouldnt even shoot wide open 3's, instead she would just pass off. The reason she was in any game was more to shoot the 3 than anything else.
Dude some players just peak at college
why the heck did the Fever even sign her for that much
What about Erica Wheeler?
There's a lot of speculation about Erica not being a Fever next season due to age and contract. Maybe that's so but she strikes me as one of those players that you want in your locker room. She appears to be a positive person a great teammate and is funny as hell.
She is an unrestricted free agent and won't be coming back to Indy for much more than the veteran's minimum. She was the highest paid player on the team last season but thankfully that contract is OVER!!
@@MrNorcal81l love her enthusiasm and attitude
@@suzannecamp1777 and @MrNorcal81 , that may be, but $212,000/year is a lot to pay someone whose basketball performance was mediocre. For enthusiasm and attitude, you can draft a perky college grad at $70,000/year.
Katie Lou can't defend at all, slow and a poor rebounder. She is a fringe rotation player at best. She would need to shoot 40% from three to even be an asset.
I think she'll make you eat your words. I think the Caitlin effect will have her working harder on her game, and be a big factor on the team. I think Caitlin will inspire her by example to be her best.
We do know the power of Caitlin's effect, but I also think Katie Lou has the integrity to work hard and rebound. She knows she had a bad season and clearly cares for the team. I think her own pride will take her a long way.
Katie-Lou was a great UConn player. But unfortunately a WNBA disappointment.
Katie, having a baby .. I don't know .. but, that's most likely a setback. Hoping you're right Mick, .. she seems like a positive team mate. Last year, was an uncertain, strange season, for the Fever. Everybody's past that, now .. they've got a picture, what to expect this year. Katie, Grace, Erica, Kristy, etc .. they all know, now .. it's too bad, they can only play five, at a time.
Katie Lou has a 170 million dollar contract? Fr 😂😂😂 smh do better
Could Wheeler be player/asst coach. She's the best hype man a team could have.
No contract is worse than Katie lou at least McCowan get average close to a double double 😂
i do not think one should worry too much after sides is gone. she was not a good coach for anyone. joe
Move Katie Lou! Satou is taking your spot😂😂 she can come off the bench
She's not good. And her style of play does not work with how Caitlin plays. She needs to go to another team that might be able to utilize her better.
Pretty sure that CC's and AB's contracts more than compensates for Katie Lou's contract. Pretty sure.
She's a very skilled player, just needs to be in better shape.
She was recoverying from having a baby. She will be back to UConn normal next year.
Katie is really good Fever needs to keep her
Katie Lou Samuelson is a wonderful person, but a TERRIBLE, DISMAL anchor dragging the fever down. When it comes to basketball, she’s an absolute waste of space…CAP space.
Satou's bigger. That surprises me. Does she run the floor better?
really, are you just putting out videos to make money, even if she regains her shooting touch, she brings nothing else to the table. she was mediocre before the Fever, even Seattle didn't rate getting a huge contract. there are and will be more better options available, overseas or coming out of college. they can keep her on the cheap to fill out the bench but she won't do anything to make the Fever better. heck, Nalyssa is way better if they can keep d'jonai out of her head
She is going to ha e to be one heck of a lot better. She was brjtal.at both ends of the floor last year, tdally brutal.
Please trade her!
I don’t think anyone will pay that much for her. It is a bad contract like Wallace. Dunn sure worked against the salary cap. They need to let Wheeler go. To much money
get rid of her
Katie Lou is rhythm player, the longer she stays on the court her percentage goes up
Buut Buut. Dude you have so little basketball knowledge it's unbelievable. Stay in Ireland or wherever you're at.
Mick you think Temi and Mo Billings are Max contract players?😂
They literally have to pay billings a max, it's in the rules...
Well I was never a Katie fan but since Lexi thinks she is so great now I hope Katie puts Lexi back on the bench. Trade Lexi to the Aces
I like both, but I think you are right. She's enjoying being a celebrity now than basketball. We'll see how she's worked on her game come the Rival League.
@MarkLindo yea she sure threw a jab at CC. Oh how we soon forget riding that bench
Mick, last season Katie-Lou played so bad, she pulled herself out of a game or did you forget? Right now Katie-Lou’s contract is the Fever’s albatross