2024 WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark had a memorable collegiate career leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to consecutive Big Ten tournament championships, where she earned Most Outstanding Player honors.
The two-time AP Player of the Year has since moved on to the WNBA, playing for the Indiana Fever. But she remains an inspiration for her former college team and even helped them recently win over the formidable USC Trojans led by the 19-year-old guard JuJu Watkins.
She was present during the practice session before the Feb. 2 clash. It turned out to be a huge morale booster and an opportunity for the Hawkeyes to prepare for the upcoming matchup. Now, Iowa star Lucy Olsen has revealed how it felt sharing the court with the Hawkeyes’ legend.
Lucy Olsen Shared Catlin Clark Mimicked Juju Watkins Style To Help Them Prepare
The Hawkeyes pulled off one of their biggest wins of the season on Feb. 2, defeating JuJu Watkins and the Trojans 76-69. But this victory wasn’t just another game. It was also the night Iowa retired Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 jersey, honoring the player who transformed their program.
Furthermore, Clark utilized the time with her former team to help them prepare for USC star Watkins by mimicking her style of play. It paid off well since the Hawkeyes’ came out victorious.
Speaking on Courtside Club Interviews with Rachel DeMita on Feb. 24, Iowa guard Olsen shared how playing against Clark in practice gave the team confidence when facing Watkins.
When DeMita asked, “What was Caitlin like in practice? Was she competitive or just hyping you guys up in practice?” Olsen replied, “She was competitive; it was hopeful that she would hit tough shots just like JuJu does, so it was okay because she is going to hit some, but we have to move on to the next play.”
“It wasn’t like we were surprised, like, ‘Oh my God, how did JuJu just hit that?’ It was like, ‘alright, we saw that yesterday.’ It’s like it just happened, and we are ready.”
Rachel DeMita asked Lucy Olsen about Caitlin practicing with the team before the USC game.
“Ohhh she was competitive. Yeah it was helpful that she hits tough shots just like Juju does…alright we saw that yesterday.” pic.twitter.com/4NvJiN1OSk
— correlation (@nosyone4) February 24, 2025
Olsen led the charge for the Hawkeyes, notching a game-high 28 points, and topped it off with four rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. On the other side, Watkins, the 2024 unanimous first-team All-American, fought hard, putting up 27 points, but could not overcome the seven-point deficit that led to the Trojans’ defeat.
