The Iowa women’s basketball team took on a different look after the 2023-24 season, as legendary guard Caitlin Clark announced an intent to enter the WNBA draft, later being selected as the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever.
Veteran starters Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, and Molly Davis also graduated, leaving a large void in the starting lineup.
With the 2024-25 campaign rapidly approaching, the Hawkeyes and new head coach Jan Jensen have used the offseason to retool the roster after Clark’s departure.
A big change to the team’s lineup came with the acquisition Lucy Olsen, who transferred in from Villanova in the offseason. In three seasons with the Wildcats, Olsen posted 1,504 points and started all 35 games at point guard last year. She was also named the Big East Most Improved Player for her efforts.
Jensen has been impressed by Olsen’s skill as a player.
“Lucy Olsen plays the mid-range game about as well as I’ve seen it played,” Jensen said at Big Ten Media Days on Oct. 2. “She’s crafty. She’s fun to watch, because she can kind of come out of a screening action where you think she’s stopped. She reminds you of a running back that’s small and hard to tackle.”
Jensen also feels fortunate to land Olsen in a world marked by the omnipresence of the transfer portal.
“I feel fortunate that we got Lucy, because to this point, we’ve utilized the portal [as] need-based,” Jensen said. “It’s not always to get better and go recruit the portal, try to enhance your roster. We like to develop our roster and try to get them good enough to be competitive early.”
Olsen notes the stark differences between the Big Ten and Big East conferences.
“I’ve played some Big Ten schools,” Olsen said at Iowa media day on Thursday. “Last year we played Illinois and Penn State. The physicality definitely is stronger, faster-paced.”
Olsen also explained the change from Villanova’s smaller fan base to the raucous environment at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which has already sold out general admission tickets for the entire season.
“At Villanova, I think our stadium held 6,000,” Olsen said. “We may have sold it out once or twice. I look around every day and I’m like, “all those seats?”
Third-year Hannah Stuelke is excited to be part of a team with so many new additions.
“I think it’s really exciting, lots of new stuff,” Stuelke said. “Getting used to new players, playing without Caitlin and with J as the head coach, I think it’s just really exciting that we get these new experiences.”
Stuelke has also gotten closer to Olsen both on and off the court.
“She’s also my roommate, so we’re pretty close,” Stuelke said. “I see her every single day at home, we hang out all the time. It’s like we’re best friends already.”
Though she has been on campus for only a few months, Olsen has already fallen in love with Iowa and enjoys its special atmosphere.
“This place is so awesome,” Olsen said. “The community around women’s basketball, the environment they built, and this place sold out, it’s unbelievable.”