Stanford a 'leading contender' for Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen, No. 3 scorer in the country

The Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team is set to look extremely different next season following key departures from head coach Tara VanDerveer who retired and star forward Cameron Brink who is off to the WNBA.

As of now, they return Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year Kiki Iriafen, and also have a very promising recruiting class coming in for Kate Paye's first team as the head coach. However, one thing that this team has been lacking over the past few years is a guard who can stretch the floor and consistently create shots for herself.

While taking in transfers isn't always easy for Stanford, and is something that VanDerveer may attempt to tackle in her new role with the school and athletic department, the Cardinal are in hot pursuit of one of the top transfers in the country.

According to a report by EJ Arrow, the Cardinal are one of the top teams for Lucy Olsen, who is ranked as the No. 4 transfer in the portal. She put up an impressive 22.3 points per game this past season, making her the third-leading scorer in the country, and shot it at a high clip, shooting 43.8% from the field. She did see her three-point percentage drop, but is a career 32% from deep.

247Sports' Brandon Clay broke down her game, expressing that Olsen can slide right in and make an impact for any team.

"Olsen was a walking bucket during the 2023-24 campaign averaging 23.3 points per on 43.8 percent from the field. Olsen also managed to grab 4.8 rebounds to go along with 3.8 assists per as well. She's right there in potential impact with any available backcourt prospect in this cycle to date," wrote Clay.

If the Cardinal can land her, it takes the pressure off of younger guards while also giving Stanford a playmaking/scoring threat that they don't have on the roster. The admissions department will play a role, but Paye and Stanford would absolutely love to add Olsen.