Former Iowa point guard Sam Logic has been through a lot since her last game as a Hawkeye — which came in an 81-66 loss to No. 5 Baylor in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 27.
That’s because on July 5, the Atlanta Dream traded its 10th overall selection to the San Antonio Stars for a second-round pick — a move that caught Logic off guard. And being the all-around guard that she is, she’s rarely off guard.
“Right away you’re just a little shocked,” Logic said. “And you try not to take it personally, just because it’s a business. They need to make decisions for their team and organization, just like San Antonio had to make one to make the trade.”
Within eight hours of hearing the news, she was on a flight to her new home, and she spent just three days in the city before she left with the team for a three-game road trip.
She had spent just 10 games in Atlanta, appearing in four. A wealth of talent at the guard position could be why Atlanta decided to part ways with the former Hawkeye great.
Guard Angel McCoughtry leads the team in scoring (21.9 per game) and assists (3.6). Backcourt-mate Tiffany Hayes ranks second in points, averaging 10.9.
In addition, the team drafted point guard Shoni Schimmel in the first round of the 2014 draft, a pick they may be intent on developing as their floor general of the future.
After finishing first in the Eastern Conference last year, the Dream stand in last place right now at 6-7. The Stars rank fourth in the Western Conference, with a record of just 3-10.
Nonetheless, Logic remains optimistic about where her WNBA journey has brought her.
“It’s just been a little bit of an adjustment,” she said. “But my teammates and the staff have been nothing but helpful and just really welcoming.”
The Racine, Wisconsin, native owns Iowa records in assists and games started and ranks second in scoring and, remarkably, rebounding. Her six-career triple-doubles ranks second in NCAA history, and she’s second in Big Ten history in assists as well.
She’s also the only player ever in women’s college basketball to compile 1,500 points, 800 rebounds, 800 assists, and 200 steals.
Quite simply, she may be the best player the program has ever seen.
Logic averaged 36.7 minutes per game as a senior; just a few months later, she’s averaging fewer than one.
Aside from the adjustment to the increased speed of the game and talent she’s facing, a test of patience may be the biggest challenge of her transition into the pros.
“It’s like when you come into college but with different adjustments,” Logic said. “You have to have a lot of patience, your coaches have to have a lot of patience with rookies to learn the speed of the game and whatever system you’re playing.
“When you get to this level, you know what it takes. They expect you to pick things up pretty quickly, but I’m doing pretty well with the patience and moving things along.”