The Washington Mystics and the Indiana Fever tipped off their preseason with a contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The game was the first chance for fans to see the 2025-2026 rosters in action.
The big story ahead of the game was the absence of Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. Clark suffered an injury during Friday's practice and was held out of Saturday's preseason game due to an abundance of caution.
Clark's absence robbed Hawkeye fans of the chance to see the former GOAT battle her replacement Lucy Olsen. After transferring from Villanova before the 2024-2025 season, Olsen was tasked with replacing Clark as Iowa's best player.
In her lone season with the Hawkeyes, Olsen led the team in points (17.9) and assists (5.1) per game en route to being selected by the Mystics with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
The fans were given a solid preseason game, minus the two former Iowa stars squaring off.
Both teams were debuting new-look rosters for the first preseason game. One of the new additions was Lucy Olsen. In 14 minutes off the bench, Olsen did not have a major impact during her first WNBA game.
She scored two points, making one basket in six attempts. She did not register any other stats and had a minus-18 plus-minus. Olsen will look to improve in her second preseason game on May 7 in Washington, D.C.
The former Iowa star is attempting to acclimate to the pro game and aims to carve out a significant role on a rebuilding Mystics squad. The Mystics have one more preseason game before tipping off the season at home in DC on May 16 against the Atlanta Dream.