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Former Iowa women's basketball star wins 2026 WNBL championship
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- Former Iowa women's basketball star wins 2026 WNBL championship
Lucy Olsen is officially a champion. The former Iowa women's basketball star point guard was a critical piece in the Townsville Fire's 108-105 overtime victory over the Perth Lynx in Game 2 of the best-of-three 2026 WNBL Championship Series at the Perth High Performance Centre on March 1.
Olsen entered the championship series with high praise from Shannon Seebohm, the Townsville coach. She had identified the former Hawkeye as the Fire's potential X factor against the Lynx. The 5-foot-10 guard collected the 2026 WNBL Sixth Woman of the Year Award , as the Australian league's best scoring option off the bench in the regular season.
In Sunday's series-clinching game in Perth, Olsen finished with 15 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field, 2-for-5 from 3-point territory, and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. She added five assists, one rebound and one steal in just over 27 minutes of action off the bench.
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In addition to her impressive stat line, Olsen came up clutch in the most important moment of the game. She made a series-clinching steal and a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining in the overtime period to seal Townsville's fifth WNBL championship and second title in the past four years.
Olsen finished her season in Townsville averaging 8.4 points, 3.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 27 games. Olsen shot 37.7% from the field, 31.1% from 3-point range and an outstanding 89.2% from the free-throw line.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 01: Townsville Crowned champions during game two of the WNBL Grand Final series between Perth Lynx and Townsville Fire at Perth High Performance Centre on March 01, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
While it is unclear whether she will return for the 2026-27 WNBL season, the Washington Mystics (WNBA) guard clearly made the most of her experience Down Under through increased playing time against many of Australia's top women's basketball stars.
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Olsen's immediate future on the court depends on whether the WNBA reaches a new labor collective bargaining agreement in the coming weeks. If a 2026 WNBA season is held in any capacity, she will likely have a reserve role for Washington. As a 2025 draft pick (23rd overall), Olsen is one of the few players in the league currently under contract and is not a free agent this offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Former Iowa women's basketball star wins 2026 WNBL championship
