"Aww love this": Taylor Stremlow, Kylie Feuerbach and Iowa teammates adore Lucy Olsen's NYC photodump on IG

Iowa star Lucy Olsen is currently in New York for the Women's Champions Classic against Tennessee. The Hawkeyes star seemingly spent some time with her teammates touring the Big Apple.

On Friday, Olsen posted photos on Instagram, sharing moments from New York City’s Times Square and the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

Her teammates Kylie Feuerbach, Taylor Stremlow, and Callie Levin commented on the post.

Lucy Olsen's teammates comment on her Instagram post| Image source: Instagram @lucy3olsen

“Hot chawwccolateeee😍,” Feuerbach wrote.

“awww love this,” Stremlow said.

“Hellooooo New York 🔥,” Levin added.

The No. 17 Hawkeyes face the Lady Volunteers in Brooklyn on Saturday. This will be the first matchup between the two programs since 1993, when C. Vivian Stringer and the Hawkeyes defeated Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols, 72-56, in Iowa City to advance to the Final Four. Though the Volunteers lead the series 2-1, the game promises to be thrilling as the teams meet again after 31 years.

Olsen’s potential return is also good news for the Hawkeyes. She leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game. After missing both games in Cancun due to a knee injury, she participated in practice sessions this week.

Olsen's hometown of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, is only 100 miles from Barclays Center, ensuring a strong showing of support for her on Saturday.

"Hopefully I play. That would be kind of embarrassing if everyone shows up (and I sit)," Olsen joked on Tuesday.

"A lot of people are going to try to go to this game. I'm excited to see my family and some friends I haven't seen in a while."

The Villanova transfer has been a standout for the Hawkeyes this season. Last season with the Wildcats, she averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 steals across 35 games, leading Villanova to the 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament final, where they fell to Illinois.

Hawkeyes face season's toughest challenge against Tennessee

The No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0) are set to defend their undefeated record against undefeated and unranked Tennessee (6-0) in New York City at the Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic.

Both teams are led by first-year head coaches — Iowa’s Jan Jensen and Tennessee’s Kim Caldwell — who will aim to make a strong impression at the Barclays Center. The game, part of a doubleheader, will be broadcast on FOX.

Iowa returns to the court after victories over Rhode Island (69-62) and BYU (68-48) in the Cancun Challenge. Meanwhile, the Lady Vols edged out Florida State 79-77 in the ACC-SEC Challenge and are poised to enter the rankings with a home win.

Tennessee leads the nation in 3-point attempts, averaging 38.8 per game, and dominates the offensive boards with 23.5 rebounds per game. In contrast, Iowa ranks third in the Big Ten Conference with 27.6 defensive rebounds per game and averages 6.4 made 3-pointers per contest.