NORMAN, Okla. – With a 96-62 loss to third-seeded Oklahoma on Monday, the Iowa women’s basketball program bid farewell to another season — and to team-leading fourth-year Lucy Olsen.
Brought in as a transfer from Villanova, Olsen had big shoes to fill as the successor to legendary point guard Caitlin Clark, tasked with being a leader in a largely transitional season for the program. While the defeat ended the Hawkeyes’ Sweet 16 ambitions, first-year head coach Jan Jensen praised Iowa’s efforts this season.
“It took us a while to put it in the rearview mirror, a lot of the questions about Caitlin, about that era,” Jensen said in a press conference. “But when we did and we allowed this team to become who they could be, it really started to blossom.”
Olsen was again the leading scorer in the loss to the Sooners, putting up 20 points to finish the season with an average of 17.8 points per game, the second-best season of her career.
“I’m super grateful that I got the chance to play here,” Olsen said. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but I’m super proud of the team. Everyone became my family, [I] had the best coach here. I’m just super grateful for it and wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Olsen is one of four Hawkeyes graduating the program this season, alongside AJ Ediger, Addison O’Grady, and Sydney Affolter. Fellow fourth-year Kylie Feuerbach will be returning for a fifth season due to a season with a medical redshirt and praised the program’s dynamic and team chemistry.
“The girls on the floor always instill confidence in me, and I instill confidence in them,” Feuerbach said. “Every single year that I’ve played here, it’s the same. It’s just the way the culture is, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Olsen was a highly touted recruit going into the season with several accolades to show for her hard work. The 2023-24 season saw her named Most Improved Player in the Big East as well as third in the country in scoring with 23.3 points per game, behind Clark and USC’s JuJu Watkins.
Jensen had praised the guard’s skills as early as media day on Oct. 10, during which Olsen was a major talking point as one of six new additions to the team, the only one of these new recruits not in her first year.
“I think we have a lot of kids who played either the one or two position in high school,” Jensen said during the media day press conference. “Certainly Lucy Olsen, that was a great addition that we had. I think Lucy is really growing and learning and understanding how we want to play, so that’s really been fun.”
In addition to her 20-point effort against Oklahoma, Olsen grabbed five rebounds, two assists, and a team-high of two steals. Jensen ultimately credited the Big East transfer for much of Iowa’s success this season.
“We aren’t here without Lucy Olsen, and I hope that she always feels so proud of that,” Jensen said after the loss. “I think she enjoyed her experience. I think the ups and downs are going to help shape her, but we are not here without Lucy Olsen. She’ll always be part of my life, and I’ll always be part of hers.”