After receiving substantially more minutes in recent games for the Washington Mystics (8-9), former Iowa women’s basketball star guard Lucy Olsen showcased her skills Thursday night against the Minnesota Lynx (15-2). The rookie recorded the best performance of her young career in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Olsen was selected by Washington in the second round (No. 23 overall) after spending her senior year with the Iowa Hawkeyes. She has started her pro career primarily coming off the bench. Due to recent injuries to Mystics’ starters, she has received more playing time and capitalized on her opportunities.
While Olsen was not listed as a starter against Minnesota on Thursday, she was the Mystics’ leading scorer with a career-high 19 points on an efficient 7-for-10 from the field, 1-for-2 from 3-point territory and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in 17 minutes off the bench. In addition to her scoring, Olsen collected three assists and one rebound.
Unfortunately for the Mystics, the team lost, 92-75. The only other players in double-digits were forwards Aaliyah Edwards (15 points) and Shakira Austin (10 points). Making the task even harder for the Mystics: The Lynx came into the game hungry to pick themselves up off the floor after getting humbled by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday night.
For Olsen, the superb offensive performance will keep her in the bench rotation moving forward. The rookie appears to have adjusted well to her role as a depth scoring option for an improving Mystics team.
Washington looks to bounce back on Tuesday (July 8), when it hosts the Chicago Sky at the 10,000-seat EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. That game will begin at 10:30 a.m. CT and can be streamed on WNBA League Pass (free preview).
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Mystics’ Lucy Olsen delivers career-high performance vs Minnesota Lynx
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
