Lucy Olsen celebrated winning a championship with Townsville Fire after completing her rookie WNBA season, after signing for the Australian team to play through the offseason
12:06 ET, 03 Mar 2026Updated 12:06 ET, 03 Mar 2026
Lucy Olsen won the WNBL Championship with Townsville Fire(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Former Iowa star Lucy Olsen has won the Women’s National Basketball League title with Townsville Fire, after signing with the Australian team to play during the WNBA offseason.
Olsen, 22, currently plays for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA, after being selected in the second round of the 2025 draft. Olsen was selected out of Iowa after transferring to the Hawkeyes in 2024 to replace generational talent Caitlin Clark.
Clark has since come face to face with Olsen on the WNBA court, but while she has opted to rest during the offseason, her fellow Iowa alum has been competing elsewhere. After signing with the Fire, Olsen helped lead the team to its fifth championship, and first since 2023.
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Olsen scored 15 points and had five assists in a 108-105 victory over the Perth Lynx in overtime. Courtney Woods starred with 28 points, even after taking an elbow to the head during the third period.
In addition to winning the championship, Olsen was named WNBL Sixth Woman of the Year, given to the most outstanding player of the bench. Olsen chose to compete elsewhere during the WNBA offseason, as players still regularly pursue work outside the league due to low salaries.
Although the WNBA is currently in talks with players over a new collective bargaining agreement that would majorly increase salaries, changes have yet to be implemented. In the meantime, WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier took matters into their own hands.
Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart founded Unrivaled during the WNBA offseason(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
The two stars founded Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 basketball league that takes place during the winter months. The league offers higher salaries than the WNBA, despite only lasting several weeks.
WNBA players have been signed to the league, but Clark has snubbed invitations thus far. Clark isn’t under the same financial pressure as others because of her extensive endorsement deals off the court.
Olsen didn’t sign with Unrivaled and flew to Australia to continue playing before the WNBA season restarts. Olsen also wanted more basketball reps after coming off the bench during her rookie season with Washington.
Caitlin Clark and Lucy Olsen met during the 2025 WNBA season(Image: 2025 NBAE)
When joining the league, Olsen received advice from former Iowa stars Clark and Kate Martin. “[They said to] keep working hard,” Olsen said. “You never know what your path is going to be, but if you want it, and you keep working for it, you’ll get the opportunity.”
Olsen still idolizes Clark and played for the Hawkeyes when her jersey was retired. Feb. 2, 2025, was a special occasion for Iowa, as Olsen helped guide the Hawkeyes to an upset win over USC before Clark’s jersey was immortalized.
“It all felt surreal,” Olsen said at the time. “I was living in the moment, I was trying to, but I’m like ‘Is this happening?’ And then Caitlin Clark’s jersey is being retired and, I’m like ‘She’s like the greatest player ever’, and I’m watching her [jersey] retirement right now and we just beat USC, JuJu is sitting over there, it was so many things going on.
“It was a really cool moment, but I feel like I was a little overwhelmed. I was trying to take it all in, and I think I did a good job of that. But yeah, it was crazy.”