The mindset of many Iowa Hawkeyes fans is in a curious place. While they are happy that two of their seniors were drafted into the WNBA, the loss of Caitlin Clark will heavily affect the team’s performance next season.
While fans were worrying over how head coach Lisa Bluder would be able to replace the production of someone like Clark, the team was hard at work. They found someone who could take over Clark’s mantle as the primary option for the Hawkeyes as one of the best juniors in the country announced her intention to play for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa Hawkeyes bag Villanova star Lucy Olsen for 2024-25 campaign
Lucy Olsen was a standout player for the Villanova Wildcats over the past season. She finished her junior year with the Wildcats with a solid stat line of 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 43.8% shooting, 29.4% from deep, and 80.7% FT.
While she did put up great numbers, she wasn’t going to stand out in the Big East as long as Paige Bueckers is still playing for the UConn Huskies. This fact is probably one of the reasons why Olsen decided to transfer to the Iowa Hawkeyes and take over as the best team’s primary option.
The Hawkeyes are obviously thrilled with the acquisition as they posted a video of Bluder superimposed to an iconic meme video:
Will the Iowa Hawkeyes be able to finally win it all with Lucy Olsen leading the charge?
It’s going to be tough to replace someone like Caitlin Clark. Not only did she break records, but she also brought plenty of attention to women’s basketball. It would be hard for any athlete to fill her shoes.
However, Olsen is capable of at least plugging the holes Clark was covering the entire time she was there. She’s shown last season that she can create her own shots and facilitate her teammates with her solid passing skills.
Reaching three consecutive national championships without Clark will be tough for the Hawkeyes, but it will be more bearable with Olsen around.
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