Bonnie Samuelson was rather casual at first about the whole milestone thing.
"I knew I was close because people had mentioned it on Twitter," said the Stanford senior forward, who entered the Cardinal's record book Monday by sinking the 200th 3-pointer of her career, making her one of just seven players in program history to hit that mark.
After the game, when she was interviewed by the Pac-12 Network, the milestone was confirmed. Samuelson's response: "Oh. Sweet."
But a few minutes later, when she had a chance to ponder her new membership in a club that includes Candice Wiggins, Jeanette Pohlen, Vanessa Nygaard and Nicole Powell, her smile was pretty big.
"I'm honored to be among some of those names," Samuelson said. "It's pretty cool. I like 3s."
And they like her. Samuelson is one of those players who spent the first three years of her college career playing a very specific, and sometimes limited, role: Come off the bench and make good use of one of the quickest releases in the game to hurt opposing teams from beyond the 3-point line.
But as the 12th-ranked Cardinal prepare for Friday night's big matchup with No. 10 Arizona State -- a game that could well determine whether Stanford's run of 15 consecutive Pac-12 titles comes to an end -- Samuelson's role has rounded out in her final season to something more significant.
On Monday against Washington, Samuelson finished with 17 points. She took just five shots (making three, including two 3-pointers) and went 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
Samuelson is the oldest of three sisters who have been playing basketball since they were small girls, taught the game by their father, who played college basketball and professional ball in Europe. Middle sister Karlie is a sophomore on the Stanford team, sharing time on the court with her big sister. Youngest sister Katie Lou is the No. 1 recruit in the country, bound for Connecticut next fall.
"It's her last year," Karlie Samuelson said. "When you get minutes, you can do good things and that's what she's doing. This year has been a lot different. We are running a whole different style offense and she's found her place."
Bonnie has indeed settled into her role in the Stanford lineup, playing a stretch-4 in Tara VanDerveer's new guard-oriented offense. She is quickly turning into a glue player, the kind that holds a team together. Just in time to graduate.
Samuelson is playing the most minutes of her career and making the most significant contributions. In her first three seasons, she averaged less than 14 minutes per game to go with 5.8 points. As a junior last season, she made five starts and made a team-leading 63 3-pointers on a team built around Chiney Ogwumike inside.
But this season, Samuelson has made 12 starts, averaging 21.6 minutes a game. This season, she is posting career highs in scoring average (9.5 PPG), field goal percentage (.457) and 3-point percentage (.444).
"It's been a pretty good season for me so far. This season is going by so fast, it's crazy to think we have only three home games left," Samuelson said. "I'm just trying to stay in the moment."
Washington coach Mike Neighbors said moving Samuelson to the 4 this season was a "brilliant" move.
"She's guardable as a 3," Neighbors said. "She's almost unguardable as a 4."
VanDerveer knows the value that Samuelson has provided to her remodeled team.
"They have to guard her and everyone knows that," VanDerveer said. "Her 3-point shot is her hook. If she's open, she's a confident shooter. She shoots her free throws great, so they can't foul her. And she's expanded her game.
"She works hard on the defensive end and she's a smart player ... Bonnie gets it. Our guards are penetrating and pitching for her and that gets layups for other people, because the defense is out on her. That's how other people are getting their shots."
And with a team of strong 3-point shooters ...
"Bonnie doesn't feel pressure that she has to make them all," VanDerveer said.
Samuelson agrees. She feels no pressure, even as the Cardinal remake the program after 12 years of the triangle and a parade of first-team All-Americans. Even as the Cardinal face the rare situation of looking up at another Pac-12 team in the national rankings and the top of the standings.
"I just try to do exactly what my team needs and I don't try to do any more than that," Samuelson said. "We've been in every situation you could be in so far and I think we know exactly what to expect at this point. I want to do the best I can with every opportunity I get."
She has made 44-of-99 from beyond the 3-point arc and is one of the surest things in the land from the free throw line, leading the Pac-12 with a 90.7 free throw percentage.
She has improved on the defensive end, taking advantage of her length, and she has become more comfortable off the dribble, giving her game new dimension.
"I've been trying to do a couple of different things each year and I've learned a lot in my first three years," Samuelson said. "I have played with some amazing upperclassmen. And I'm just trying to help the team in whatever way I can."