Iowa’s Lucy Olsen recalls practicing with Caitlin Clark around her Iowa jersey retirement: “Towels made the gym look so different”

Caitlin Clark went down in Iowa history on Feb. 2 when her number 22 jersey was raised to the rafters in front of a sellout crowd. Hawkeyes guard Lucy Olsen shared a special memory from the jersey retirement on an episode of "Courtside Clubs" that was streamed on Monday.

"Caitlin practiced with us, I think that day or the day before, so that was cool," Olsen said. "The towels just made the gym look so different."

Olsen is referring to the No. 22 towels that covered all of the seats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was almost impossible for the Iowa squad to ignore the homage to Clark as the players practiced with her in attendance.

However, the Hawkeyes couldn't focus solely on celebrating one of their own. Instead, they had to look ahead to a big game. Unranked Iowa was set to face No. 4 USC in front of the sold-out crowd that came to see Clark's jersey retirement. The significance of the game wasn't lost on Olsen.

"We were all like, 'Alright, Caitlin's getting her jersey retired, we're playing USC, we haven't really won a big game yet. We kind of need this one,'" Olsen recalls.

Syndication: Iowa City Press-Citizen - Source: Imagn

Iowa didn't disappoint on the historic day for its former guard. The Hawkeyes came out hot against Big Ten foes, the Trojans, outscoring them 18-4 in the first quarter. Although USC eventually found its footing, Iowa came out on top 76-69.

Olsen contributed what was then a season-high 28 points in the defeat. She went on to record 32 points in a win at Nebraska on Feb. 10.

Clark seemed locked into her alma mater's matchup, leaping to her feet when Iowa made threes and calling for violations. When students stormed the court after the win, Clark just looked on with a smile at the program she helped build up.

Syndication: Iowa City Press-Citizen - Source: Imagn

Lucy Olsen's relationship with Caitlin Clark

Olsen and Clark were never teammates, as Olsen just transferred from Villanova this season. However, the senior guard said that watching Clark play for Iowa is part of what made her want to become a Hawkeye and be a part of what Clark had built.

Although Clark's impact on Iowa and the women's basketball world in general isn't something that can easily be imitated, comparisons have been drawn between the two Hawkeyes.

In her Iowa debut, Olsen recorded 19 points, the second most for an Iowa player in their debut in the last 25 years. The player that had the most points in their Iowa debut was none other than Clark.

In an appearance on the "Sometimes I Hoop" podcast, Olsen shared that she and Clark often communicate.

"I've talked to Caitlin (Clark) a little bit," Olsen said. "She's very nice. She's like 'Let me know if you need anything. I'm always here. I went through a lot and I got you.'"

Syndication: Iowa City Press-Citizen - Source: Imagn

The day of Clark's jersey retirement was significant not just for the retirement itself but also for what the practice with the Iowa legend and the big win meant for Olsen.