Iowa’s Lucy Olsen picked 23rd overall in 2025 WNBA draft
Updated: 9:14 PM CDT Apr 14, 2025
POWERED BY CARL’S AUTO GROUP. IT WAS A BANNER DAY FOR THE HAWKEYES IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA WAS BUBBLING OVER WITH EXCITEMENT FOR CAITLIN CLARK AND THE GAME OF THE SEASON. KCCI, JEFF DUBROF AND SHANNON EARHART CONTINUE OUR TEAM COVERAGE JEFF DUBROF ALONGSIDE SHANNON EARHART. THE FESTIVITIES INSIDE CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA OVER. WHAT A DAY IT WAS IN IOWA CITY. MONUMENTAL. AS SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY. THIS PLACE WAS ROCKING, BUMPING EVEN. AND THERE’S A FEW REASONS WHY WE’LL GET TO THE CAITLIN CLARK JERSEY RETIREMENT HERE IN A SECOND. BUT JEFF, TELL US ABOUT THIS GAME. YEAH, THIS IS A MONUMENTAL GAME IN FRONT OF A MONUMENTAL PLAYER. IOWA BACK HOME HOSTING NUMBER FOUR USC AND JUJU WATKINS, ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY. HAWKEYES CAME OUT FIRING IN THIS GAME. TAYLOR MCCABE FROM DEEP GETS THE SCORING STARTED. AND THIS CROWD WAS ON FIRE A LITTLE LATER SYDNEY FALTER FROM LONG RANGE AND THIS ONE TOILET BOWLS AND IOWA JUMPED OUT TO A MASSIVE LEAD. AND AALIYAH GUYTON TRIPLE MAKES IT 16 TO 1. IOWA LED 18 TO 1 AT ONE POINT, AND USC DIDN’T GET THEIR FIRST FIELD GOAL OF THE QUARTER UNTIL UNDER 20S TO PLAY A JUJU WATKINS THREE, AND IT WAS 18 TO 4 AFTER ONE SECOND QUARTER, IT APPEARED TO BE MORE OF THE SAME. MCCABE ANOTHER THREE. THE HAWKEYES LED 23 TO 4, AND THERE IT ALL FLIPS. USC IS ABLE TO FORCE EIGHT TURNOVERS THANKS TO THE TRAP AND THOSE TURNOVERS COME BACK TO BITE THE HAWKEYES. USC GOES ON A 25 TO 5 RUN TO END THE HALF. JUJU WATKINS THE STRIP, THE LAYUP AT THE BUZZER. AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE HAWKEYES TRAIL 2928. THIRD QUARTER USC TOOK CONTROL EARLY, BUILDING A FIVE POINT LEAD. KIKI GRIFFIN NO GOOD. GETS HER OWN REBOUND, THOUGH. PUTS IT BACK IN. AND THEN JUST KIND OF LIKE IN THE SECOND QUARTER, EXCEPT THE OPPOSITE. IOWA ROARS BACK AND IT WAS LUCY OLSON WITH HER MOMENT MID RANGE JUMPER GIVING IOWA THE 5150 LEAD AS WE HEAD INTO THE FINAL QUARTER. AND IN THAT FINAL FRAME IT WAS MORE LUCY OLSON. ANOTHER MIDRANGE JUMPER. IOWA WITH THE LEAD. IOWA’S LEAD GREW TO SEVEN. AND THIS WAS THE DAGGER OLSON DRIVING TO THE LANE. FOUL AND 110 POINT LEAD FOR IOWA. AND FROM THERE THEY COULD MILK THE CLOCK. AND THAT WOULD DO IT. 7669 LUCY OLSON WITH A TEAM HIGH 28, GETTING A MASSIVE WIN IN FRONT OF THE GOAT. IT WAS REALLY COOL. I MEAN, EVERY TIME I WATCH ANY OF HER HIGHLIGHTS OR ANYTHING, I’M LIKE, WOW, SHE’S SO GOOD. AND SHE PRACTICED THE OTHER DAY. I WAS LIKE, WOW, THIS IS SO COOL. BUT YEAH, I DON’T KNOW. IT’S JUST AMAZING. AND EVERYTHING SHE’S DONE FOR THE SPORT. AND LIKE, THAT’S PART OF THE REASON I’M HERE, BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH SHE’S GROWN. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL. I JUST AM SO HAPPY FOR HER TO, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE GOT TO PLAY FREE. AND PEOPLE, I THINK, REALLY GOT TO SEE THAT THAT START TO TRANSLATE. BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT ALL, JEFF. NOBODY WILL EVER WEAR THE NUMBER 22 JERSEY AGAIN AS THE NCAA’S ALL TIME LEADING SCORER HAS HER JERSEY IMMORTALIZED HERE AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA. SO WITH CAITLIN CLARK IN THE HOUSE, IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THE HAWKEYES HAD TO WIN. CLARKE SAT IN THE STANDS AND CHEERED LIKE ANY OTHER IOWA FAN WOULD. BUT I DID CATCH HER GIVING HER FORMER TEAM DIRECTION MORE THAN ONCE. BUT OBVIOUSLY NO SURPRISE THERE. BEFORE CAITLIN’S JERSEY WAS LIFTED INTO THE RAFTERS, LISA BLUDER TOLD THE ARENA THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, BEFORE PRACTICE, CAITLIN WAS GETTING HER SHOOTAROUND IN. SHE LOOKED UP AT ALL OF THE JERSEYS HANGING, AND THAT’S WHEN BLUDER WALKED OVER AND SAID, HEY, CAITLIN, SOMEDAY YOUR JERSEY IS GOING TO BE UP THERE. WELL, THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME. AND CAITLIN TOLD US PREGAME THAT SHE’S BEEN EMOTIONAL ALL DAY. YOU KIND OF JUST HAVE, LIKE, THOSE BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH WHEN YOU, LIKE, WALK IN HERE. NOT SO MUCH FOR A BASKETBALL GAME NOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY JUST TO BE AROUND EVERYBODY AND TO ENJOY THIS ENVIRONMENT. YOU KNOW, IT’S I THINK IT’S DEFINITELY YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE VULNERABLE. I DON’T HAVE TO GO AND COMPETE FOR 40 MINUTES, EVEN THOUGH I WISH MAYBE I COULD. BUT JUST THE JOURNEY WE WENT ON, I THINK REFLECTING BACK ON MY ENTIRE CAREER, WHETHER THE BEGINNING WHEN I DIDN’T PLAY IN FRONT OF ANYBODY TO THE VERY END, WHERE WE WENT TO OUR SECOND FINAL FOUR, SECOND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, AND JUST HOW MUCH THINGS CHANGED, NOT ONLY FOR OUR PROGRAM, BUT HOW MUCH THINGS CHANGED FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IN MY TIME HERE, CAITLIN EXPRESSED A TON OF GRATITUDE, AND SHE SAID SHE WAS SO HAPPY THAT HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALL GOT TO BE HERE TO WITNESS HER JERSEY BEING LIFTED FOREVER. JEFF. YEAH, AND SHE ALSO MENTIONED THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. EXPENSIVE. BUT I GUESS THESE FANS WILL COUNT IT AS A BARGAIN AFTER THIS DAY. IOWA DEFEATS NUMBER FOUR USC 7669. CAITLIN CLARK IMMORTALIZED FOREVER A SUNDAY. HAWKEYE FANS WILL NEVER FORGET. REPORTING FROM IOWA CITY FOR SHANNON EARHART.
Iowa’s Lucy Olsen picked 23rd overall in 2025 WNBA draft
Updated: 9:14 PM CDT Apr 14, 2025
Another Hawkeye is headed to the WNBA.Iowa’s 5’10” guard Lucy Olsen was drafted in the second round, 23rd pick overall, in Monday night’s WNBA Draft. She was selected by the Washington Mystics.Olsen was drafted toward the middle of the second round, ahead of the third round mock drafts had predicted.Video above: Hawkeyes stun No. 4 USC 76-69 ahead of Caitlin Clark jersey retirementOlsen, who played her first three seasons of college ball at Villanova, transferred to Iowa for the 2024-25 season.With Iowa, Olsen averaged 17.9 points per game and started in 32 games this season. She scored a season-high 32 points against Nebraska on Feb. 10 and tallied a season-high 12 assists against Murray State on March 22.Iowa head coach Jan Jensen reacted to the news on social media, saying the Mystics “got a good one.”In a release from the University of Iowa, Jensen said she is “beyond thrilled” for Olsen.”She is a relentless worker and was a joy to coach. Being a part of her journey and seeing her attain her goal of being drafted is simply incredible. Lucy deserves this moment, and I am so happy for her. Washington is getting a great one,” Jensen said.Olsen is the sixth Hawkeye to be drafted into the WNBA since 2019. Last year, Caitlin Clark took the No. 1 pick and Kate Martin was selected in the second round, No. 18 overall.» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
IOWA CITY, Iowa —Another Hawkeye is headed to the WNBA.
Iowa’s 5’10” guard Lucy Olsen was drafted in the second round, 23rd pick overall, in Monday night’s WNBA Draft. She was selected by the Washington Mystics.
Olsen was drafted toward the middle of the second round, ahead of the third round mock drafts had predicted.
Video above: Hawkeyes stun No. 4 USC 76-69 ahead of Caitlin Clark jersey retirement
Olsen, who played her first three seasons of college ball at Villanova, transferred to Iowa for the 2024-25 season.
With Iowa, Olsen averaged 17.9 points per game and started in 32 games this season. She scored a season-high 32 points against Nebraska on Feb. 10 and tallied a season-high 12 assists against Murray State on March 22.
Iowa head coach Jan Jensen reacted to the news on social media, saying the Mystics “got a good one.”
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This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
In a release from the University of Iowa, Jensen said she is “beyond thrilled” for Olsen.
“She is a relentless worker and was a joy to coach. Being a part of her journey and seeing her attain her goal of being drafted is simply incredible. Lucy deserves this moment, and I am so happy for her. Washington is getting a great one,” Jensen said.
Olsen is the sixth Hawkeye to be drafted into the WNBA since 2019. Last year, Caitlin Clark took the No. 1 pick and Kate Martin was selected in the second round, No. 18 overall.
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