Lucy Olsen’s basketball future received a boost of confidence Monday evening as the former Hawkeye was selected No. 23 overall by the Washington Mystics. The guard joins Sonia Citron of Notre Dame, Kiki Iriafen of USC, and Georgia Amoore of Kentucky as four of the Mystics’ five selections.
Olsen arrived at Iowa as a prized transfer from Villanova, leading the Wildcats to the WNIT title game and finishing third in the nation in scoring with 23.3 points per game. Despite head coach Lisa Bluder’s retirement over the offseason, Olsen remained committed to the Hawkeyes and new head coach Jan Jensen. Her first and only season in the Big Ten didn’t disappoint, as the guard averaged 17.9 points and 5.1 assists per game – both team-highs – and was a unanimous first-team all-conference nod.
The assists number notched a career-best and marked her transformation from reliant scorer to a dual-threat in the backcourt, all the while posting the best field goal and three-point percentages of her career.
“I am beyond thrilled for Lucy! She is a relentless worker and was a joy to coach,” Jensen said in a release from Iowa Athletics. “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!”
In her first trip to the NCAA Tournament this spring, posting 32 points and 14 assists over the Hawkeyes’ two games. Her 22 points led the Hawkeyes in their season-ending loss to Oklahoma in the second round.
Olsen becomes the sixth Hawkeye since 2019 to be selected in the WNBA Draft, joining Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, Monika Czinano, Megan Gustafson, and Kathleen Doyle. With Olsen, Iowa now has had 20 players drafted since the WNBA’s inception in 1997.
Hailing from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Olsen will be close to home to a Mystics team that went 14-26 last season following consecutive playoff appearances. Washington last won the league title in 2019, but its centerpiece to that championship, two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne, announced her retirement in April after sitting out last season.
Ariel Atkins, a two-time All-Star and the team’s leading scorer last season with 14.9 points per game, was traded to the Chicago Sky last season for the No. 3 overall pick, which was used to select Citron.