Lucy Olsen arrived in Iowa City hoping a bigger basketball platform would expand her opportunities.
After one season leading Iowa women’s basketball while thriving under a bright spotlight, Olsen will get her professional chance. The Hawkeyes point guard went No. 23 overall in the April 14 WNBA Draft, going to the Washington Mystics with the 11th pick of the second round.
Olsen becomes the sixth Iowa player picked in the last seven WNBA Drafts, joining Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin (2024), Monika Czinano (2023), Kathleen Doyle (2022) and Megan Gustafson (2019). It also marks the first time since 1997-99 that Iowa had selections in three consecutive drafts.
Olsen learned her first pro home nearly one year to the date after she signed with Iowa last April 24 out of the transfer portal, igniting a final collegiate season full of growth and ascension. After Olsen’s three strong years at Villanova, diving headfirst into all that is Iowa women’s basketball proved to be the perfect challenge.
It wasn’t all smooth en route to first-team all-conference honors, in a year when Olsen averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. Entering a new environment full of expectations required an adjustment period.
A decent non-conference gave way to a bumpy Big Ten start, as Iowa sputtered to a 2-6 league record while slogging through a five-game losing streak in January. That stretch culminated with Olsen on the bench in the closing moments of Iowa’s 50-49 loss at Oregon on Jan. 19.
From there, everything shifted. Olsen was a perfected 8-for-8 shooting next time out in the Hawkeyes’ win over Washington. Then came her signature performance two games later versus USC. With JuJu Watkins, Caitlin Clark and several other celebrities in the house, Olsen spearheaded the Hawkeyes’ top-five upset with a game-high 28 points.
Olsen continued climbing as Iowa kept growing. The takeover ability she showcased at Villanova blossomed over the back half of Big Ten play. Across one eight-day stretch in February, Olsen had 32 points in a road win at Nebraska, 27 points to lead a home win over Rutgers and another 27 that nearly rescued Iowa in an overtime loss at Ohio State.
Along the way, Olsen’s bubbly personality and positive on-court demeanor resonated with Hawkeye fans already determined to show their affection extended beyond Clark’s meteoric rise. Olsen’s Iowa introduction fit perfectly inside Jan Jensen’s inaugural season.
“I’m super grateful that I got the chance to play here,” Olsen said after her Iowa career ended against Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but super proud of the team. Everyone became my family. Got the best coach here. I’m just super grateful for it and wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Olsen will now get a chance to parlay her collegiate success into something more. For as cutthroat as WNBA roster construction is, it doesn’t take long to find Hawkeyes who have found footing while lacking first-round status. Both Gustafson and Martin fit the mold Olsen hopes to join.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
