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NCAA

Caitlin Clark's replacement at Iowa its she won't be able to walk in her shoes

Lucy Olsen is the Hawkeyes' newest star.

Caitlin Clark during her final season at Iowa.
Caitlin Clark during her final season at Iowa.LAPRESSE

Caitlin Clark's career at Iowa will be etched in history books for generations to come. A true trailblazer, Clark sparked a revolution in women's basketball while rewriting the record books as an overwhelming offensive force. Clark helped Iowa reach the National Championship for the first time in program history in 2023, then did the same in 2024.

With Clark now on the Indiana Fever, many are curious how the Hawkeyes will fare without her. It's impossible to replace a player of her caliber, but Iowa did well to bring in Lucy Olsen on a transfer. Olsen was named the Most Improved Player in the Big East last season, and was also an All-American Honorable Mention. Olsen was extremely successful at Villanova, but can she come close to filling Clark's shoes?

Caitlin Clark stuns with bold offseason remarks

Lucy Olsen speaks about replacing Caitlin Clark

Speaking at the Big 10 media day, Olsen was naturally asked about replacing Clark, and she gave a definitive answer.

I mean, she was amazing. She pretty much brought everything to the team. I'm not gonna shoot half-court shots. Yeah, I won't be doing that, so don't watch for that... It'll just be different, like I'm going to work my butt off and anything coach needs me to do to help us win the games.

Olsen doesn't play like Clark. No one really does, but Olsen places more of an emphasis on driving to the hoop or pulling up from the mid-range than long three-pointers. She still put up over five three-point attempts per game last season, but that's a far cry from Clark's 13.6 in her final season.

No one is expecting Olsen to be Clark, but she should please fans so long as she scores consistently and distributes the ball efficiently.

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