“She’s like the greatest player ever”: Lucy Olsen admits getting starstruck by Caitlin Clark reliving Iowa’s “surreal” win vs USC

Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen expressed being starstruck by Caitlin Calrk's presence during her jersey retirement ceremony earlier this month. Speaking to Rachel Annamarie DeMita in the latest episode of "COURTSIDE CLUB INTERVIEWS," Olsen recounted the Feb. 2 ceremony, saying she struggled to stay in the moment.

The Hawkeyes had defeated No. 4 USC 76-69 right before the event, adding to Olsen's joy.

"It all felt surreal, I was like living in the moment, I was trying to but I'm like, 'Is this happening?,'" she said (at 19:44). "And then Caitlin Clark's jersey is being retired, I'm like, 'She's like the greatest player ever and I'm watching her retirement right now. We just beat USC, Juju is sitting over there.'

"It was like so many things going on. It was a really cool moment but I feel like I was a little overwhelmed. I was trying to take it all in and I think I did a good job of that but yeah, it was crazy."

Lucy Olsen scored 28 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals on 10-of-18 shooting to make Iowa's night sweeter. It was her highest-scoring game in the Hawkeyes jersey at the time.

Despite the loss, in a gesture of great sportsmanship, JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans stayed to attend the ceremony, showcasing their respect for Caitlin Clark. Watkins scored 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals on 8-of-22 shooting in the contest.

Iowa Hawkeyes fans accepted Lucy Olsen even before her first practice with the team

At the Big Ten Media Day in the offseason, Lucy Olsen shared a random interaction with Iowa fans. She said that even before she practiced with her new team, fans recognized her at a Chick-fil-A and asked for a picture.

"They get out of the car, and they're like, 'Hey, you're Lucy Olsen, you're the new Hawkeye," she said. "And I was like, 'Yeah, how do you know me? I haven't touched the ball yet.'"

"It's crazy. I haven't even stepped on the court yet and fans are, they want to get a picture with me. I'm like, 'You don't even know me.' It's all about love, like everything." (at 4:00)

Lucy Olsen came to Iowa with a reputation for being a high-level scorer. Her 23.3 points per game in the 2023-24 season ranked only behind JuJu Watkins and Caitlin Clark.