Iowa Hawkeyes Have Lisa Bluder to Thank for Signing Caitlin Clark’s 21YO Prodigal Replacement

As the NCAA season approaches, all eyes are on the Iowa Hawkeyes and the intriguing storyline of Caitlin Clark’s departure. The 22-year-old had been a powerhouse for the team over the past four years, leading them to consecutive National Championship games, though they fell short of victory on both occasions. This season, the Hawkeyes will take the court without their star player. But they are not completely left in the lurch. To help fill Clark’s shoes, Iowa has already made a new signing, a move made possible largely by the efforts of former head coach Lisa Bluder.

Shortly after the Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, the Iowa Hawkeyes secured former Villanova Wildcats star Lucy Olsen’s commitment from the transfer portal. In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Olsen shared what influenced her decision to choose Iowa as her next home. Her response highlighted the subtle role played by former head coach Lisa Bluder, which convinced her that Iowa was the right choice for her next chapter.

“I mean, from the first phone call they were my first one, and Coach Bluder, head coach. I mean, that felt very important. Obviously, Coach Bluder is awesome and amazing. But I think after that like you could just — then I did a zoom call with all the coaches and you could feel the love through the zoom call,” stated Olsen on CBS Sports.

After spending three years playing college basketball, Olsen is coming off a standout season with the Wildcats, where she averaged 23.2 points over 35 games. The 21-year-old guard also stated, “I went on campus. They’re just all so personable and so caring. We didn’t even like talk about basketball that much. I just felt like they really loved me as a person.”

As her conversation with Lisa Bluder was crucial in her decision-making process, it’s clear that Bluder’s influence goes beyond just coaching; she genuinely treats the Iowa team like family. “Once a Hawk, you’re always a Hawk. Those are my girls. They become an extension of your family. You want to see them do well. If now, I can support them a little bit more, I’m going to take advantage of that,” Bluder had said previously. She not only said that but practiced it as well.

“After the season ended, I spent time with our student-athletes and coaches reviewing the season and preparing those moving on for what comes next,” Bluder had written in her retirement announcement. And why not? Look at her association with the Hawkeyes.

Bluder has been with the team for 24 years and 40 seasons before retiring on May 13. An Iowa native who played at Northern Iowa, Bluder finished with an overall career coaching record of 884-396. She had stints as a head coach at St. Ambrose (169-36 in six seasons) and Drake (187-106 in 10 seasons) before taking over at Iowa in 2000.

With the Hawkeyes, Bluder was 528-254, with five Big Ten tournament titles. Iowa has 18 NCAA tournament appearances during Bluder’s time, and she was a three-time Big Ten coach of the year. She went 263-144 in Big Ten games.

“It has been the honor of my career to be a part of the Iowa Hawkeye family. And to lead a women’s basketball program filled with so many talented and remarkable young women, who have gone on to do great things in their careers and, more importantly, in their lives,” Bluder had written in a statement released by Iowa. Naturally, while talking about her tenure, the Caitlin Clark era in Iowa can not be overlooked. Handling a superstar like her would not have been easy for Bluder. But the veteran only had good things to say about Clark.

Calling Clark a hard worker and great teammate, Bluder had said to the Washington Post, “She brings three of them with her to the draft. She gets them all Nike shoes. She gets them all Bose headphones. I mean, she really incorporated her teammates. She was somebody that really built them up, and she was fun. So part of it was Caitlin. Caitlin created that herself because she wasn’t a prima donna. She didn’t act like she was better than anybody else. She was goofy. So part of it was Caitlin.” That is the place that Lucy Olsen comes to fill in.

As it is said, with great opportunity brings great responsibility. For Olsen, it looks both on and off the field. Besides being that teammate, Olsen must step into the role of that Clark, who was known for her incredible scoring ability. The pressure is on, but Olsen is determined to rise to the challenge.

Does filling Caitlin Clark’s spot bring any pressure on Lucy Olsen?

Caitlin Clark made a spectacular exit from college basketball, finishing her career with a record for the most points scored in both men’s and women’s collegiate history. Her exceptional shooting accuracy and scoring ability were instrumental in guiding Iowa to back-to-back finals. Now that she has taken her talents to the WNBA, a new generation must uphold that legacy. That’s where Lucy Olsen steps in, signed to carry the torch for the Iowa Hawkeyes and continue the tradition of excellence.

One might think that with such high expectations, Lucy Olsen would feel the pressure, but her experience has kept her grounded and confident. “I just want to win. So if I have to score, I’ll try to score. But I want to do whatever coach (Jan Jensen) needs for me to win to help us win,” mentioned Olsen. Her impressive high school career backs her confidence, as she made history by scoring 543 points in a single season—the most by any player, male or female, at Spring-Ford High School.

“I don’t really think (that it will be) added pressure just because it’s a new team, new coach five, and new freshmen coming in. We all got to figure it out. It’s not just oh I’m taking Caitlin Clark’s spot. It’s a whole new era,” concluded Olsen as she is poised to make her mark on the Hawkeyes. The question now is whether Iowa can cultivate another generational talent in her, especially considering Lisa Bluder’s influential role in bringing her on board.