Why Fever's practice facilities were draw for Katie Lou Samuelson, and could be for others

INDIANAPOLIS — When Katie Lou Samuelson went through her free agency process, one thing was paramount: A place where she felt safe with her daughter.

Samuelson sat out the 2023 WNBA season because she was pregnant, and she had her daughter, Aliya, in August.  Having a child changed everything for Samuelson: how she trained, where she trained, and when she trained.

She didn’t only need a space to work on getting back into shape; she needed a space that would be safe for her daughter, too. After going on a tour of the Fever’s practice facilities, which are connected to their home playing floor in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, she was sold. So, she signed a two-year contract with the Fever in February.

“It was big, because for me, now having (Aliya), I take my time and time on the court and time as a family very seriously,” Samelson said. “I need to be able to do things efficiently, so having access to be able to get on the court outside of practice time or whenever I need to, and have it be available and completely somewhere that I can go, and feel comfortable bringing my daughter there as well, was really important for me.”

More: Why five-year WNBA veteran Katie Lou Samuelson wanted to join a rebuilding Indiana Fever team

Gainbridge Fieldhouse went through extensive renovations between 2020-22, enough so that it displaced the Indiana Fever from their home court for parts of those seasons. During that time, the Fever played at different locations around Indianapolis, including Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse and the Indiana Farmers Coliseum on the state fairgrounds.

In the end, it was all worth it.

The Fever unveiled their upgraded practice facilities in 2021 as part of Phase I of the renovation. It included a renovated and expanded locker room — which used to be a hockey locker room — as well as a new weight room and renovated practice court.

They officially moved back into Gainbridge Fieldhouse full-time ahead of the 2023 season. All of those facilities are exclusive to the Fever, as the Pacers’ practice facility is across the street.

“We've been through some really difficult times with not being in Gainbridge Fieldhouse,” Fever general manager Lin Dunn said following the 2023 season. “Not being here to practice, not being here to play. We're at Butler, we're in the Coliseum. We're here, we're back over there. It's been tough, but now all of the renovations are finished. We have a gorgeous locker room, great facilities. Everything is right here that we need to be successful, and then where we live is next door. So I feel like we now have everything in place and some stability.”

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Individual facilities are becoming more common for WNBA teams across the league; before, teams would either have to share those spaces with their NBA counterparts or be cast out of the arena entirely.

The Chicago Sky, for example, don’t have their own practice facility. They lease out a portion of the Sachs Recreation Center, a public facility, and are frequently seen walking in and out of practice by gym-goers. With the improvements in facilities around the league, though, the Sky announced last May it is looking for a spot to build its own, private practice facility.

That announcement was on the heels of the Las Vegas Aces’ new practice facility, which was the first offsite facility built specifically for a WNBA team. The two-time WNBA champions have two practice courts, saunas, hot and cold tubs, and hyperbaric chambers, according to the Associated Press. Following the 2023 season, the Phoenix Mercury announced it will be building a new practice facility, which will include two courts, 10 baskets, as well as a dedicated kitchen and chef. The Seattle Storm’s practice facility was announced in 2022, and it is expected to be ready for this upcoming season.

“This is all because of free agency, and it was so important back in 2020 when we did that historic collective bargaining agreement to capitalize off of a much more open free agency system, because now players have choices,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “... If you want to get any of these players back in free agency, you've got to have a first class experience. So, I think everybody's figuring that out.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever's practice facilities could be draw for free agents