In this new era of London Lions basketball, they’ve not been shy about wanting to bring the very best British talent back home to the UK to ball out.
They certainly went some way to living up to that mantra this summer as they acquired several new British National Team stars to join the Pride.
One of those was none other than Karlie Samuelson, who has flown the British flag in Europe and the WNBA for several years now in a distinguished career that has this season brought her back to British shores.
Coming to London off the back of a standout season for the Los Angeles Sparks, 28-year-old Samuelson was a real coup for the Lions and she discussed why now was the right time to make the move to the capital and what she’s enjoyed about being here so far.
“I talked to Temi (Fagbenle) a little before coming here and having her here was huge for me,” Samuelson said.
“I’ve also played with Holly (Winterburn), Shanice (Beckford-Norton), Cheridene (Green) and played against Coach Stella (Kaltsidou) quite a bit, so I’ve felt quickly comfortable here and knowing that was going to be the case was a big factor for me.
“I spent three seasons in Spain with Avenida and I loved it, but I felt it was time for me to go somewhere else. Who wouldn’t want to live in London, as well!? My mum is British, I play for the National Team, I have a lot of friends on this team as well so I thought it was a win-win.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing with Holly. I’ve watched her from afar and it’s been fun to see her growth. I like the way Stella coaches and I like the way we play as a team and share the ball. That was another conversation I had before I came here, learning how we were going to play and Stella’s ambitions, so those were important factors in my decision too.”
Inspiring the future
Samuelson has played with and against some of the best to ever lace up their sneakers on a basketball court during her career on some of the grandest stages, but the Trophy competition has presented a brand-new opportunity for her – a month-long in-season tournament with a winner-goes-home mindset from game one until the Final.
A EuroLeague veteran with five years’ experience in the WNBA, Samuelson has seen it all in an exceptional career, but spoke of her excitement for the environment of the Final and the opportunity to inspire future generations with the platform provided in Birmingham.
“The format of this competition is very exciting, with the Trophy taking over the month and a big final at the end of it. When I was in Spain we had the Queen’s Cup which took up a whole weekend, but I’ve not experienced an in-season tournament like this before.
“To have the opportunity to play in a big arena like we will in Birmingham is really exciting. I love playing in the Copper Box but Birmingham is even bigger, so I’m hoping we can play really well and get a win to secure the Trophy.
“I remember seeing Holly and the girls posting pictures last year of the Finals they were in over here and it looked super cool and that the basketball community in this country really bought into it, which is awesome. I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.
“If we can inspire any young kids at the game, that’s what it’s all about for us. Holly said last year there were so many young boys and girls inspired by the game, and that’s what it’s all about. The women’s final isn’t to inspire the girls and vice versa – we’re here to have a positive impact on everybody and to have the platform to do that in Birmingham is special.”
From Latvia with love
Most British basketball fans’ defining memories of Samuelson will likely have come from that EuroBasket tournament in 2019, where the sharp-shooting guard burst onto the scene with Great Britain and helped them a best-ever finish of fourth place in the competition.
Although many years and more wonderful memories have passed since then for the California native, Samuelson reflects on the importance of that competition for her career and how it had a hand in her signing for the Lions this summer.
“I think about that EuroBasket often and how we made history there, and I’ve made friendships with the core group of those girls who are now like family to me, and that’s the biggest thing that cam out of the tournament for me.
“On a professional level our success in that competition definitely helped my career because I had a good tournament and signed for Avenida off the back of that, which was then my way into EuroLeague where I had a lot of great memories also.
“It was a long time ago now, back in 2019, but I do think about it often and have some great memories, and in a way those connections I made there with the likes of Temi for example are what has helped bring me here to London now, so I’m very thankful.”
Howay the lass
The 28-year-old Samuelson qualifies for the British National Team through her mother, who was born and raised in the north-east of England, with the family now living in California where Karlie’s father is from.
With the Lions having played in the north-east twice already this season against Durham and Newcastle, that has offered some really unique moments and memories for Samuelson which she details, as well as discussing why being in the UK feels like home for her.
“My mum is from Sunderland so when I first visited the UK in 2018 I got to see where she’s from, where she grew up and met my dad and all that. Mum played basketball and netball, and my dad is from California but he came overseas to play, and that’s where he met my mum and brought her back to California.
“We’ve played in Newcastle and Durham already this season and that was so nice for me because we went up there and my mum’s sister and close friends and her former teammates came to watch me play. It was really cute to have a big squad in the crowd supporting me and something I’ll never forget.
“Being here feels different than playing overseas for me. It definitely feels more like home. There’s not a language barrier, which is super important as well, but the most special thing is just having those moments like I had in Newcastle and Durham – I couldn’t get those anywhere other than somewhere I felt at home.”
Catch the live Trophy Final action this Sunday on Sky Sports and Sky Sports YouTube.