Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and forward Katie Lou Samuelson took part in a grappling exchange at practice on Thursday ahead of the regular season's final game. With the Fever sitting in playoff contention ahead of the WNBA postseason, it seems the team is all smiles ahead of tonight's game.
Although it's unclear what transpired before the video starts, once it begins, Clark is seen at the bottom with Samuelson at the top. Samuelson sinks in a choke, forcing Clark to tap out.
After the morning shootaround, Caitlin Clark and the Fever will be back in action tonight at 7 p.m. ET when they take on the Washington Mystics.
While Clark and the Fever have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, the Mystics are looking for a win to clinch a postseason spot. The eighth seed belongs to the Atlanta Dream, which is one game ahead in the standings.
With the Dream, the Mystics and the Chicago Sky all vying for a postseason spot, tonight's slate of WNBA action seems poised to produce fireworks.
Katie Lou Samuelson talked about her friendship with Caitlin Clark
Katie Lou Samuelson has struggled to find a consistent role in the WNBA. After being drafted fourth overall in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky, she wound up playing just one year with the team before landing in Dallas.
Despite improving her stats and receiving a bump in minutes per game, Samuelson played for the Seattle Storm the next year. While her stats showed improvement, with a jump from 5.0 points to 7.0 ppg and a career-high 3.5 rebounds per game, she was traded yet again.
This time, she landed in LA, where she had the best year of her career. In 32 games for the Sparks in 2022, Samuelson averaged a career-high 9.7 ppg, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
The following season, she took a year of maternity leave, which allowed her to sign with the Indiana Fever for the 2024 season. Since then, she and Caitlin Clark have formed a close friendship.
"I feel like I've gotten to know Caitlin more and more as the season has gone on," Samuelson said in August. "She's definitely gotten more comfortable. She's one of the funniest people and will always make a sarcastic remark at any chance she can.
"Those games, as silly as they are and as competitive as we get, just bonds us as a team, and I think you can see that on the court and the way we're playing."
With a chance to make waves in the postseason, all eyes will be on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the postseason.