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Olivia Olson (basketball)

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For the American actress and singer-songwriter, see Olivia Olson.

Olivia Olson
Olson in March 2024
No. 1 – Michigan Wolverines
PositionGuard
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2005-11-02) November 2, 2005 (age 19)
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Career information
High schoolBenilde-St. Margaret's
(St. Louis Park, Minnesota )
CollegeMichigan (2024–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA U16 Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place 2021 León Team

Olivia Olson (born November 2, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference. She was a five-star basketball recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class. She has competed in basketball for Team USA at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship and the Nike Hoop Summit. She is a 2024 McDonald's All-American. In 2023, she won Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) state championships as a senior goalkeeper in soccer and as a junior guard in basketball for Benilde-St. Margaret's. She helped Benilde defend their basketball title in 2024. She earned Minnesota Miss Basketball and Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year recognition.

High school career

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Olson has trained with her father Chris from a young age; practicing her ball-handling skills. She began playing varsity basketball in eighth grade.[1] As an eighth grader for Benilde-St. Margaret's, she tallied 40 points against a talented DeLaSalle High School team.[1] She also played varsity soccer as an eighth grader, but sat out her junior season before returning as a senior goalkeeper.[2] By January 2021, the freshman had 17 athletic scholarship offers and was the number 9 prospect in the national class of 2024.[1] She averaged 23 points as a freshman.[3] Late in her sophomore season, she was the number 3 ESPN-ranked prospect of the national class of 2024 with over 40 college scholarship offers.[4] She averaged 22.8 points as a sophomore.[3]

On September 8, 2022, Olson gave a verbal commitment to Kim Barnes Arico and the Michigan Wolverines after the program reached its first two NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2021 and 2022 and the 2021–22 Michigan Wolverines, posted the best season in school history.[5][6] National class of 2023 top-30 prospect, Taylor Woodson, from Minnesota had also committed to Michigan by September 2022.[7] She was the first top-40 player in the national class of 2024 to give a verbal commitment.[8] Olson led her school to a 2023 MSHSL Class 3A State Championship averaging 25.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.[3]

On November 8, 2023, she signed her National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play college basketball at Michigan.[9] In November, she was the goalkeeper for the MSHSL Class 2A state champion soccer team. Then, on November 25, 2023, she broke a bone in her left hand in the season opener and did not return to action until January 4, 2024, when she posted her 2000th career point.[3] Her father's Twitter explained that Olson's surgery required 2 plates and 12 screws.[10] Ranked at number 15 in the national class of 2024, she is the second (to number 11-ranked incoming Michigan freshman classmate Syla Swords) highest-ranked recruit in program history at the time of signing her NLI.[11] The class of 2024 was the highest ranked class in school history (ranked number 4 on signing day).[9]

At the MSHSL Class 3A State Championship tournament, Benilde-St. Margaret's won its three games by margins of 35, 31 and 23 to defend its championship.[12][13] In the championship game, Benilde-St. Margaret's (who was seeded first and ranked second) faced DeLaSalle High School (who was ranked first and seeded second). Olson had 30 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists.[14][15]

She was named to the April 2, 2024 McDonald's All-American Girls Game at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Olson, along with incoming freshman Swords, are the program's first high school signees to earn the honor.[16][6] Olson and Liv McGill were the eighth and ninth Minnesotans named McDonald's All-Americans.[17][18] She has also been selected for the April 13 Nike Hoops Summit at the Moda Center in Portland Oregon.[19] During her senior year she averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.6 steals through 28 games and was named Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year.[20] She was also awarded Minnesota Miss Basketball.[21] Although she was not a big scorer in the McDonald's All-American Game, MaxPreps writer Aaron Williams used the phrase "The highlight reel dish of the night" to describe her pass to her future Michigan teammate Swords.[22] The play received lots of public praise, with ESPN's color commentator mentioning it as possibly "the prettiest play we've seen all game".[23][24]

College career

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Olson began her Michigan career in the starting lineup wearing the #1 in a November 4, 2024 68–62 loss to a number-one ranked South Carolina Gamecocks team that had not lost in a year and a half.[25][26] At the 2024 Fort Myers Tip-Off, Olson earned All-Tournament honors as 7–1 Michigan stretched its win streak to 7 games.[27] Her performance in the tournament included her first NCAA career double-double with a 19 point/11 rebound effort in the first game against Belmont on November 29.[28] On December 9, Olson earned her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor for her 18-point effort against Northwestern the day before.[29][30]

National team career

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Olson has represented the United States women's national under-16 basketball team, winning a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship.[31] She was one of only 3 15-year-olds selected for the team.[1]

Personal life

[edit]

By her high school freshman season, she had about a dozen landscaping customers. Her father and brother, Morgan, kept her business running while she was training with and playing for Team USA in 2021.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Youngblood, Keith (August 12, 2021). "Benilde-St. Margaret's Olivia Olson is all business in rise to basketball fame". StarTribune. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  2. ^ "Olivia Olson goes from the basketball court to soccer field". WCCO-TV. September 22, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Rippel, Joel (January 5, 2024). "Top senior in girls basketball splashes back onto the scene". AOL.com. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "Benilde-St. Margaret's Olivia Olson catching the eyes of college coaches". KSTP-TV. February 21, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Heilig, Brock (September 8, 2022). "Five-star point guard Olivia Olson commits to Michigan". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Meyer, Craig (January 23, 2024). "Michigan basketball commits Olivia Olson, Syla Swords picked for McDonald's All-American Game". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "Benilde-St. Margaret's junior Olivia Olson pumped to commit to Michigan basketball program". KSTP-TV. September 22, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Bertels, Kevin (September 9, 2022). "Girls' basketball: Five issues raised by Olivia Olson's choosing Michigan". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Skiver, Kevin (November 8, 2023). "Michigan women's basketball signs five recruits to 2024 class, highest in program history". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  10. ^ Olson, Chris (November 29, 2023). "@ChrisOlson763 status update". Twitter. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  11. ^ VanMetre, Sarah (November 8, 2023). "Wolverines Sign Five to National Letters of Intent". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  12. ^ "2024 State Class AAA Basketball, Girls Tournament". Minnesota State High School League. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Benilde-St. Margaret's School". Minnesota State High School League. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Cook, Mike (March 16, 2024). "State girls basketball: Benilde-St. Margaret's pulls away from DeLaSalle to defend Class 3A crown". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Gunther, Joseph (March 17, 2024). "Benilde-St. Margaret's dominates 2nd half, repeats at 3A titlis". Star Tribune. ProQuest 2957848553. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  16. ^ VanMetre, Sarah (January 23, 2024). "Olson, Swords Named McDonald's All-Americans". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  17. ^ Nelson, Joe (January 23, 2024). "2 Minnesota girls basketball stars named McDonald's All-Americans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  18. ^ Wald, Jeff (January 23, 2024). "Minnesotans Alivia McGill, Olivia Olson selected for McDonald's All-American Game". KMSP-TV. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "USA Rosters and Coaching Staffs Announced for 2024 Nike Hoop Summit". USA Basketball. January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  20. ^ "Benilde-St. Margaret's Student-Athlete Named Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year" (PDF). Gatorade. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Haggstrom, Ron (April 5, 2024). "Benilde-St. Margaret's Olivia Olson named Miss Basketball". Star Tribune. ProQuest 3033641679. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  22. ^ Williams, Aaron (April 2, 2024). "Joyce Edwards scores 19 to lead East to victory, five takeaways from McDonald's All American Game". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  23. ^ "Michigan commits Olson, Swords link up with flashy no-look dime". ESPN. April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  24. ^ Kahn, Andrew (April 3, 2024). "Future Wolverines deliver play of the night in McDonald's All-American game". MLive.com. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  25. ^ "Michigan Wolverines 62: 68 South Carolina Gamecocks". ESPN. November 4, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  26. ^ "No. 1 South Carolina avoids major upset in 68-62 win over Michigan". ESPN. Associated Press. November 4, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  27. ^ "Wolverines Blitz Virginia Tech, Win Fort Myers Tip-Off". MGoBlue.com. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  28. ^ "Michigan 68, Belmont 58:". Detroit Free Press. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  29. ^ "USC and Michigan Score Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Awards". Big Ten Conference. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  30. ^ "Olson scores 18, Hobbs 16 and No. 23 Michigan women edge Northwestern 60-54". ESPN. Associated Press. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  31. ^ "Olivia Olson". USA Basketball. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
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