Iowa Hawkeyes guard Lucy Olsen (33) drives to the lane during the second round of the NCAA March Madness Women’s college basketball game between University of Oklahoma Sooners and Iowa Hawkeyes at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Monday, March 24, 2025.

'The Best Place To Play': Lucy Olsen Composes Touching Message To Hawkeyes Fans After March Madness Exit

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Dan Agulto | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 7:42 AM ET

Following the Iowa Hawkeyes’ exit from the NCAA Tournament, Lucy Olsen posted a touching farewell message on her Instagram account.

On Thursday, she uploaded a series of photos of herself in action for the Hawkeyes, along with a caption thanking the program and her fans for her eventful first and only year in Iowa.

“Huge thank you to Iowa and the best fans for an unforgettable season,” Olsen wrote. “I’ll never get over how amazing the energy was at every game. Carver is the best place to play and I can’t thank everyone enough for helping me live out this dream. Even though it was only one year, I am so grateful to call Carver home and to forever be a Hawkeye.”

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A post shared by Lucy Olsen (@lucy3olsen)

Lucy Olsen transferred from Villanova to Iowa for her senior season in college basketball. Averaging 23.3 points last season before she joined the Hawkeyes, she was third in scoring behind Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins. After joining the Hawkeyes to fill the spot Clark left when she went to the WNBA, Olsen led the team in scoring (17.9 points) and assists (5.1).

The senior guard wrapped up her college basketball career with a first-team All-Big Ten selection. She was also named a finalist for the 2025 All-America team.

Lucy Olsen grateful and emotional following Iowa’s NCAA Tournament exit

Iowa senior guard Lucy Olsen shared an emotional reflection of her only season with the Hawkeyes in a postgame press conference following their NCAA Tournament exit. The sixth-seeded Hawkeyes finished their 2024-25 season in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to the third-seeded Oklahoma Sooners. 96-62.

“Yeah, 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, and everyone became my family. I’ve got the best coach here, so, yeah, I’m just super grateful for it. I wouldn’t want it any other way. It just wasn’t supposed to happen tonight.”

The end always hits hardest for the seniors — Lucy Olsen shared a reflection of her time at Iowa

“Everyone became my family, got the best coach here… wouldn’t want it any other way” pic.twitter.com/q2WEVEuXMM

— Blake Hornstein (@BlakeHornTV) March 24, 2025

Olsen finished the game with team-high 20 points on 7-for-20 shooting. She also contributed five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of action. She finishes her four-year college basketball career with 2.077 points and over 500 career rebounds.

It remains unknown if Olsen will declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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