"Best dad ever": Iowa star Lucy Olsen sends sweet birthday wish for dad on IG 

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Lucy Olsen shared a heartfelt birthday tribute for her father on Instagram, calling him the "Best dad ever!" on Friday. The Instagram post featured a collage of two images of Olsen and her father, highlighting their close bond.

In the first photo, the two are seen enjoying an outdoor moment together with their fluffy dog.

The second image captured them at what looked like an indoor shooting range, with Olsen wearing protective eyewear and ear protection while standing beside her father.

"Love you 💕💕; Happy birthdayyyyy!!!; Best dad ever!" Olsen wrote.

Iowa star Lucy Olsen sends sweet birthday wish for dad on IG - Image source: Instagram/lucy3olsen

The 21-year-old guard has averaged 18.0 points, 3.6 points and 4.9 assists while shooting 44.1% for Iowa this season. Olsen also led the Hawkeyes in averaging 4.9 assists. She had her most impressive performance points-wise when she put up a season-high 32 points in Iowa's 81-66 victory over Nebraska on Feb 11.

With March Madness approaching, Olsen and Iowa are gearing up for a crucial part of the season.

Iowa star Lucy Olsen gives honest take on guarding UConn’s Paige Bueckers

Lucy Olsen has been vital for the Iowa Hawkeyes in their push for a No. 6 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. In an interview on Wednesday with USA Today, Olsen gave her honest take. She reflected on her past matchups against UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

After spending three seasons in the Big East conference with Villanova, Olsen is no stranger to the Huskies and knows just how tough Bueckers can be in a matchup.

"She's definitely really good," Olsen said. "She was injured my first few years there, so I feel like I only really played against her last year. She's really tough. I mean, they're a tough team in general and yeah, she's hard to guard."

Since her transfer from Villanova last year, Olsen was quick to establish herself as Iowa’s offensive leader, averaging 18.0 points heading into March Madness. Olsen’s scoring prowess was not in doubt as she averaged 23.3 points in the 2023-24 season, placing her just behind USC’s JuJu Watkins and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.

The two guards clashed twice during the 2023-24 season as their first meeting on Jan. 31 saw Bueckers put up 21 points while Olsen scored 15 in an 81-60 UConn victory.

When they faced off again, on Feb. 28, Bueckers impressed with 31 points, leading UConn to a 67-46 win. Olsen, on the other hand, was held to just six points, her lowest-scoring game of the entire season.

Now in the NCAA Tournament, Olsen hopes for a different outcome should Iowa and UConn cross paths again. While she acknowledges the challenge of guarding Bueckers, she’s also proven she can step up against the best.