"We love you Kar": Napheesa Collier, Alex Bazzell, Katie Lou Samuelson and others react to Karlie Samuelson's tear-jerking message

The Minnesota Lynx have lost a key veteran in their rotation, as guard Karlie Samuelson will miss the rest of the season due to a left foot injury. This year marked Samuelson’s debut with the Lynx, where she established herself as a reliable bench contributor for the title contenders.

In a statement, the Lynx confirmed that Samuelson is set to undergo surgery and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2025 campaign. After the announcement, Samuelson shared a heartfelt message on Instagram on Saturday, expressing her gratitude to the team and how much she enjoyed being part of the squad.

“I don’t even know what to say besides this really sucks,” she wrote. “I loved playing with this team. I know I’ll come back from this. Just hard to process not being on the court with these girls. But I’m grateful to be here. This a special team. #GoLynx.”

Her message drew an outpouring of support from fellow WNBA players and Lynx teammates.

“We love you Kar ❤️❤️,” commented Lynx star Napheesa Collier.

Collier’s husband, Alex Bazzell, added:

“❤️ you’ll be back!!"

Courtney Williams wrote:

“We love you Karl 🫶🏽💕”

Bridget Carleton showed support with a string of heart emojis.

Karlie's sister, Katie Lou Samuelson, also commented:

“Love you 🥺❤️”

Here are more reactions to the post from the Lynx guard:

WNBA personalities send hopeful messages to Karlie Samuelson

Before landing in Minnesota, Samuelson was coming off the best season of her career with the Washington Mystics, where she put up averages of 8.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. In 16 appearances this season for the Lynx, she’s averaged 3.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg and 1.1 apg.

What led to Karlie Samuelson's injury?

Karlie Samuelson sustained her left foot injury during a June 29 matchup against the Connecticut Sun, which immediately forced her out of action. The team later confirmed she had sought expert medical opinions to get clarity on the injury.

“An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was taken at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine in Minneapolis, where Samuelson also met with Mayo Clinic foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Norman Turner III, to further evaluate and discuss treatment options,” the team said in a press release.

Connecticut Sun v Minnesota Lynx - Source: Getty

Despite her absence, the Lynx still feature a deep backcourt rotation, with Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride and Natisha Hiedeman anchoring the guard spots.

Through 18 games, Minnesota holds the league’s top record at 16-2, sitting ahead of the New York Liberty, who are second at 12-5.