IOWA CITY, Iowa — In the practice facility where Caitlin Clark’s famous intensity was on display nearly every day for four years, Lucy Olsen runs through the same drills with the same amount of effort while showcasing a little more joy and a much larger smile.
It’s a slight difference in optics between Clark, who currently leads the WNBA in assists as a rookie, and Olsen, who is replacing her world-renowned predecessor as Iowa’s point guard after three stellar seasons at Villanova. But there’s little difference in competitive fire, which Olsen’s smile conceals and her new teammates embrace every time she takes the court.
“You can tell she just loves basketball,” said senior guard Sydney Affolter, one of two returning starters from the Hawkeyes’ national runner-up squad. “She loves to be here. She loves getting after it. But she’s so hard-working. In scrimmage, she’ll push you and not take it easy on anyone.
“She’s definitely lighthearted, but she can be mean on the floor.”
Olsen, who stands 5 foot 10, finished third in Division I in scoring last season, her 23.3 points per game trailing only Clark (31.6) and USC’s JuJu Watkins (27.1). For the second consecutive season, Olsen will be following up the nation’s leading scorer; her former Wildcats…
