Mater Dei’s Katie Lou Samuelson has been selected the Gatorade State Player of the Year for girls basketball.
The 6-foot-3 senior, who has signed with UConn, has led the Monarchs to a 28-2 record and a berth in the Open Division quarterfinals of the CIF Southern California Regionals.
She is averaging 29.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. She also has a 4.2 GPA.
Mater Dei has an overall record of 85-7 in her three seasons on the team.
She is the third player from Mater Dei to be recognized as Gatorade’s state player of the year. Nirra Fields (2011-12) and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (2010-11, 2008-09) also received the award.
Samuelson has been selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. She was also named National Player of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.