Karlie Samuelson, a 2017 honorable mention All-American who led the Cardinal to two Final Fours, returned to her alma mater as an intern prior to the 2025-26 season and is in her second year back on The Farm.
Samuelson, who initially returned to the program while rehabbing a left foot injury, has played for seven franchises across eight WNBA seasons since her graduation from Stanford with a degree in human biology in in 2017. She played with the expansion Portland Fire in 2026.
Over 139 career games as of August 4, the 6-0 guard has averaged 5.2 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 38.6 from deep.
Samuelson is one of four Stanford alumnae and WNBA veterans on staff, joining three Cardinal coaches in Kate Paye, Erica McCall and Jeanette Pohlen.
Samuelson averaged career highs in points (12.4), rebounds (3.4) and assists (2.7) and personal bests in field goal percentage (.482) and 3-point field goal percentage (.485) in leading the Cardinal to the 2017 Final Four as a senior. She finished second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, a mark good for second in school single-season history and fifth in Pac-12 history.
Her 96 made 3-pointers in 2016-17 are tied with Jeanette Pohlen for second in Stanford history, tied for eighth in Pac-12 history, and her 249 career 3-pointers are fifth in the school record books. A career 44.3 percent 3-point shooter, Samuelson is second at Stanford to Jennifer Azzi, fifth in Pac-12 history and 21st in NCAA history. She ended her playing time at Stanford with the best career 3-point percentage for any Pac-12 player since 1990.