Fourteen years after her first attempt, Cara Consuegra finally got Sam Logic to commit to Marquette women’s basketball.

Consuegra first tried to sign Logic as a player in 2011, when she was a star at Racine Case High School. But Miss Wisconsin Basketball ultimately chose Iowa, and Consuegra had to watch her break the Hawkeyes’ career-assist record — in only three seasons, it should be noted — from afar. 

This spring, Consuegra got Logic’s long-awaited signature. Only this time as an assistant coach.

“Adding someone like Sam was an easy decision,” Consuegra said. “She’s seen the game at every level — college, pro, international— and that knowledge is invaluable for our team.”

Logic joins the Golden Eagles after one year in the WNBA and a decade-long professional career overseas in countries like Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Luxembourg and Slovakia. Ultimately, her extensive, globe-trotting basketball journey led her back to her home state in the summer of 2024.

After participating in the yearly tradition of scrimmaging Marquette women’s basketball with other professionals, she decided to stick around in the Al McGuire Center for a couple more practice sessions. This trend quickly extended into the following months and eventually the 2025 offseason.

When former director of player development Chaz Franklin left for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun in March, most people would have envisioned a lengthy job search to replace that hole on the sidelines. However, Consuegra knew exactly what she needed to do to add some prowess back into the coaching staff; having seen what she was capable of on the sidelines, Consuegra knew that Logic was the answer.

But it was always going to be a tough decision on Logic’s end. While she loved being back home and with the Marquette team, entering the world of coaching would mean her retirement from playing the game she had centered her entire life around.

Despite this conflict, Logic reflected on the program’s values, which she had come to learn and understand over the previous months, and after a long series of phone calls, took Consuegra’s offer.

“It really felt like the right opportunity,” Logic said. “After I talked with Cara and the staff, I just felt connected to what they’re building here.”

Since she officially joined the program, Logic has come to learn a lot about what it takes to coach at the Division I level. There have been many winds in the road during her beginning months, whether it be getting involved in drills, motivating in the weight room or taking part in recruiting players just like Consuegra did with her in the same role 14 years ago.

“There are just so many things that go into coaching that Cara and the rest of the staff are trying to help accommodate me with,” Logic said. “I just want to be someone I wish I had when I was starting out.”  

Despite her status as a former All-American, Logic has found that coaching isn’t about recreating her own style in the players, but about helping each athlete find their best version of themselves. Her ability to relate to players has been especially impactful among Marquette’s guards, who see her as a mentor who not only understands their challenges but has lived them.

“She’s been doing everything,” senior guard Jaidynn Mason said. “It helps so much having someone like that around, who’s been doing it at every level of the game.”

On the practice court, her playing experience really comes in handy, given that many of the Golden Eagles on the roster are in positions nearly identical to where Logic was just over a decade ago.

Though she’s traded in her jersey for a clipboard and the hardwood of Europe for the sidelines of the Big East, Logic’s competitive fire hasn’t dimmed. What Logic’s peers have seen in these initial months have them incredibly excited to see how she grows in her first official season as a member of the Marquette family.

“What we’ve seen from her so far in this environment is really encouraging,” Consuegra said.

More excited than anyone is Logic herself, as she makes strides to impact basketball games from off the court for the first time in her life.

“Honestly, it’s just fun to be around the team, to see all the work we’ve put in come together, everyone’s bought in,” Logic said. “I think this season is going to be really rewarding for all of us.”

This article was written by Eamon Bevan. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @EamonBevanMU.