Lucy Olsen offers Iowa women’s basketball preview in 3×3 battle at WNBA All-Star weekend

Iowa women’s basketball fans were officially introduced to Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen on Friday night in a unique setting.

Playing as part of USA’s 3×3 Nations League team, Olsen and her teammates went head-to-head with Team USA’s primary 3×3 squad heading to the Olympics next month. The exhibition was a part of the WNBA Skills Competition on All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

Team USA pulled out a 19-16 win over the Nations League squad in a thrillingly chaotic basketball battle, which sees a winner determined after 10 minutes or if either team reaches 21 points. Two-pointers are worth one point and treys are worth two points. Olsen hit a 3-pointer in the contest.

With Caitlin Clark watching courtside along with every other WNBA star, Olsen and fellow collegiate players Christina Dalce (Maryland), Morgan Maly (Creighton), Cotie McMahon (Ohio State), Mikaylah Williams (LSU) Serah Williams (Wisconsin) battled Team USA’s Hailey Van Lith (TCU), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Derica Hamby (Los Angeles Sparks) and Cierra Burdick.

Olsen and the Nations League team will next compete in the FIBA 3×3 Nations League America Conference July 22-28 in Mexico City.

Olsen was the nation’s third-leading scorer last year at Villanova and is tasked with replacing some of the lost production resulting from Clark’s graduation at Iowa.