Los Angeles Sparks forward Katie Lou Samuelson announced on Instagram she is pregnant with her first child.

Samuelson and her fiancé Devin Cannady, who plays in the NBA's G-League, got engaged last February. The two have been together for a number of years and are getting ready to take the next step of their relationship.

“Life is full of surprises and 2023 surprised us in the best way possible!” wrote Samuelson. “We can’t wait to welcome the newest member of our family! This is a little earlier than we planned on announcing but we wanted to make sure this was our story to share with you all.

“Here’s to a year full of love, growth and happiness!”

A number of high-profile athletes of the likes of WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike, Paige Bueckers, Sue Bird and Chelsea Gray congratulated the couple underneath Samuelson's post. Karlie Samuelson, Katie’s sister and professional basketball player, commented she is “ready for duty” as a new aunt.

Samuelson, who has one year left on her deal with the Sparks, has bounced around the WNBA to start off her career. Coming out of UConn, she was drafted with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft by the Chicago Sky. A year later, Samuelson was traded the following season to the Dallas Wings but never found a consistent role there. She was flipped to the Seattle Storm for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft before getting traded to Los Angeles for former UConn star Gabby Williams.

Samuelson averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.5 minutes per game in 2022.