Samuelson ready for the last dance in London: ''I'm extremely proud of the run we've had''

LONDON (Great Britain) - Karlie Samuelson can't wait to step out with a trademark smile and have some fun when she takes to the court for the second and decisive EuroCup Women Finals game on Wednesday.

A big fans' favorite wherever she goes, the shooting ace is loving life with London Lions and raring to go as her team tries to make up a seven point deficit against Besiktas from the first leg.

It was certainly a game of two halves for Samuelson in the Finals opener after she went scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, only to then find her range and drop 16 second half points on her opponents.

"The first game against Besiktas was tough as it was super loud and a great atmosphere," she stated. 

"I’m excited to have another game at the Copper Box and compete one last time [in the competition] as a team. It will be a fun night of basketball."

"HOLLY IS AN INCREDIBLE PLAYER... SHE'S GOING TO DO BIG THINGS AND THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG." - Karlie Samuelson

The main performer in Istanbul for the Lions was Holly Winterburn, who lit it up with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Samuelson is backing her teammate to shine again and feels the sky is the limit for her teammate. 

She said: "Holly is an incredible player. She is a fierce competitor and has a great feel for the game.

"Almost every game that I’ve started to get hot, she calls a play for me and finds me right away to get another shot.

"I’ve loved playing with her. She’s going to do big things and this is just the tip of the iceberg for her."

If Lions do manage to conquer Besiktas and continue their run this season of having won every EuroCup Women game at home by double-digits, then it would finish an up and down season on a massive high. Certainly it was not where anybody had expected to be after their initial goal of playing EuroLeague Women was torched by DVTK HUN-Therm. 

"The EuroLeague Women Qualifiers were definitely a disappointment for us," confessed Samuelson.

"But I’m extremely proud of the EuroCup Women run we have had. We’ve grown a lot as a team and this season has been a lot of fun."

Certainly the added dynamic of competing with a history-making London team packed with homegrown ballers has been something Samuelson has relished, having worn the Great Britain national team jersey in the past. 

"Playing for a British team has been special," she confirmed.

"When we played games up north I got to play in front of my moms past teammates and my aunt. My mom also got to come visit me and watch me play in the Copper Box, which was a special moment for both her and me." concluded Samuelson.

The EuroCup Women Finals second leg game tips off at 20.00 CET on Wednesday April 10 and is free to watch on FIBA's YouTube channel.

FIBA