Mystics Coach Provides Telling First Impression of Iowa Fan Favorite Lucy Olsen
Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball fans rejoiced on April 14, 2025, when beloved guard Lucy Olsen was selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 23 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Olsen proved during her lone season at Iowa and previous three seasons at Villanova that she's an elite offensive threat with a versatile scoring ability. However, the likely reason that Olsen fell to No. 23 overall instead of being considered for the first round was that she isn't a knockdown three-point shooter. Plus, although she was able to slash into the paint with ease during college, being an undersized guard against bigger, faster defenders in the WNBA will make that more difficult.
But the person whose assessment of Olsen that matters most is Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson. And when speaking with the media on April 28, Johnson got honest about what he has seen from Olsen thus far.
"Well, I think Courtney Williams has shown the world that the midrange game is still alive and well," Johnson said when asked about how Olsen's offensive skillset has translated to the WNBA so far, per an X post from @Christy51WScott.
"Everybody in the league knows how valued that can be. So, certainly not pulling that away from Lucy in any shape or form. It's just got to be a shot she makes at a high level, which is what Courtney does. What I would say directly in terms of Lucy is her work ethic is really on the high end. I mean, she really puts her time in, which is impressive, which is what's needed at this level," he added.
"And she has shown an ability to learn fast. And so those two skills bode well for a long career... but those two things stick out right now," Johnson concluded.
. @WashMystics Head Coach Sydney Johnson’s #WNBA Training Camp comments regarding @IowaWBB s @LucyOlsenbball s transition into the @WNBA . (@CourtMWilliams 🫡 🤝☺️🫶🏽) @B1Gwbball @herhoopstats @TheWNBPA @ESPN_WomenHoop @MonSportsNet @NBATV pic.twitter.com/vziXRlBX2U
— ChristyWintersScott51 (@Christy51WScott) April 28, 2025
While Olsen still has a long way to go before making the Mystics' roster, this sentiment from Johnson shows she has made a good first impression.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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