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Karlie Samuelson · In stringing together victories, one after another on the way to one of WNBA history’s most blistering starts, the Connecticut Sun have found one area in which their production has been almost unmatched: keeping opponents cold from 3-point range. For Karlie Samuelson — one of 2023’s most accurate long-range snipers — the early-season litmus test, thus, couldn’t have offered a better challenge. Sky-high in her confidence after connecting on each of her first three triples, the Washington Mystics guard opts for her fourth in the first half alone, using a spot-up along the left corner to drain a game-tying bucket. A routine beneficiary of her teammates’ gravity, Samuelson used her catch-and-shoot accuracy to put in 14 points by halftime. Equally-superb in her final box score tally, the six-year veteran recorded 18 points (on six-of-eight shooting), alongside three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and four triples. Late-game execution would ultimately halt the Mystics’ victory hopes once more on May 17, 2024, but in a game that offered 16 lead changes, Samuelson’s career-high helped Washington remain competitive throughout. · State of Mint