Lucy Olsen shuts down internet chatter with admission about her Iowa transition: "Caitlin Clark is Caitlin Clark. I am not going to try to be her"

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder recruited Villanova guard Lucy Olsen to replace Caitlin Clark, who was picked No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.

In a recent interview with the "Des Moines Register," Olsen addressed the pressure that comes with replacing the popular Caitlin Clark.

“They were so fun to watch. Caitlin Clark was so amazing,” Olsen said. "And I tried to learn from Caitlin. Every night, just trying to learn from her. I tried to pick up her change of pace and how she does it.

“Caitlin Clark is Caitlin Clark. I’m not going to try to be her,” Olsen said. “But they need a point guard, and it’s a perfect opportunity to try to make something happen.”

Lucy Olsen on her Villanova experience and her reason to choose Iowa

Lucy Olsen earned the Big East's Most Improved Player Award last season, along with first-team honors. She started all 105 games for Villanova.

She averaged 23.3 points on 43.8% shooting from the field and 29.4% from three, as well as 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists (134), which led the squad. She also had the most steals for the Wildcats, with 65.

Olsen registered 25 games, scoring 20+ points and was only behind USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins (27.1 points) and Caitlin Clark (31.6 points) in terms of scoring average.

Lucy Olsen has one more year of eligibility remaining and after announcing her commitment to Iowa, she explained why she opted to leave the Wildcats after three years.

“Villanova was awesome. It was close to home,” said Olsen. “It was a perfect fit for me for three years. But I wanted my final season to be somewhere that women’s basketball is exploding.

"I want to compete with and against new competition. And I want to go pro. I’m hoping Iowa can help me get there.”

The Hawkeyes lost a lot of experience with the departures of Caitlin Clark, captain Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, starting point guard Molly Davis and Sharon Goodman.

After Olsen entered the transfer portal on April 9, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder contacted her immediately to recruit her to next season's Hawkeyes roster. Olsen explained why she was attracted to the project at Iowa.

“Coach Bluder called me right away,” Olsen said. “I hopped on a Zoom call with the staff, and they were the nicest people ever. They felt like family. I’ll play the point. I’ll play off the ball. I’ll play anywhere that gets me on the floor.”

Lucy Olsen has been tabbed as the heir to Caitlin Clark's Iowa throne and that tag will come with its own pressures as college hoops fans watch on to see whether she can replicate the impact of the former Iowa star.