Mater Dei girls basketball coach Kevin Kiernan spent part of this past Sunday on his couch, tuned in to ESPN to watch his star player, Katie Lou Samuelson, help Team USA’s U17 squad win the FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic.
With a day of traveling ahead of her to get back stateside, the last place the Monarchs coach thought he’d see Samuelson was at the Mater Dei gymnasium on Tuesday morning.
But as he was setting up for the school’s annual youth camp, the sharp-shooting 6-foot-3 forward casually strolled in, ready to work.
“She could’ve stayed away and rested up at home, but she dove right back in,” Kiernan said. “Lou came walking through the door Tuesday morning right off the plane, and she’s been out there working all week with the kids. That says a lot about her. She’s a great kid.”
It’s been a busy summer for the Register’s two-time defending Player of the Year. After committing to Connecticut in late May, Samuelson spent the last three weeks in Europe participating in the U17 World Championship, which concluded Sunday with a 77-75 triumph over Spain in the gold-medal game.
“During the game it was very nerve-racking,” she said. “Obviously Spain is a great team, but we probably thought too far ahead about the gold. They put us right back in check at the beginning of the game, and after about two minutes we knew it was going to be that close.”
Samuelson was held to seven points in the finale, but she finished as Team USA’s leading scorer over the course of the tournament, averaging nearly 14 points in seven games. The Monarchs senior was one of two Americans named to the five-member all-tournament team.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of Team USA, but also to be recognized for (the all-tournament),” Samuelson said. “Throughout the tournament, there were so many great players from other countries, so it’s just an amazing feeling.”
Samuelson is already set to travel to China in August for the Summer Youth Olympics. She will be participating in the 3-on-3 event with fellow U17 teammates Arike Ogunbowale, De’Janae Boykin, and Napheesa Collier.
The trip to China gives Samuelson an opportunity to capture a second gold medal this summer, and it will also afford her a glimpse into her future. Like Samuelson, Boykin and Collier have also committed to play for UConn in 2015.
“It’s been a great summer,” Samuelson added. “(Committing) has been a weight lifted off my shoulders. I don’t have to stress or worry about my future. It’s all kind of coming together now. I know where I’m going, I’m excited about where I’m going, and I’m just really happy with my decision.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
