Lucy Olsen is carving out a role in the WNBA. Former Villanova teammate Maddy Siegrist showed her how.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Like many girls in the 1990s and 2000s, Lucy Olsen dreamed of playing in the WNBA. Sure, the Philly area didn’t have a team, but the allure of playing the sport she loved at its highest level was undeniable.

So she worked. She got into Villanova and blossomed into Division I’s third-leading scorer in 2023-24, her junior season. She got stronger and refined her craft, first with the Wildcats and then at Iowa.

And in her first two seasons at Villanova, she had a teammate who showed her the way. Maddy Siegrist, the Big East’s all-time leading scorer, the leader of the best Big 5 women’s basketball team in years, didn’t get there by accident. Her trademark work ethic rubbed off on her teammates — and paid off for a 2022-23 Wildcats team that went 30-7, reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history, and ended the season ranked 10th in the AP poll.

So on that Monday night in 2023, when Siegrist’s name was called third overall by the Dallas Wings in the WNBA draft, the dream became a lot more real for Olsen. And almost exactly two years to the day, on another Monday night in April, the moment came for the point guard from Collegeville, too. Four months after that, the former teammates faced off for the first time as pros in a 91-78 Washington Mystics win at the College Park Center near Dallas.

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Neither former Wildcat started, but the moment came quickly, when both entered following a timeout with 4 minutes, 4 seconds left in the first quarter. One possession later, Olsen drove against her former teammate and kicked the ball out. It was just a few seconds — and an empty possession — but it was a proud moment for Villanova and the Big 5. Siegrist and Olsen are among three active former Big 5 players, and it marked the first time former Villanova players had taken the court against each other in a WNBA game.

All told, the two shared the court for 9:05.9, notably a 2:37 fourth-quarter stretch in which they drew the other as a defensive assignment. Neither scored against the other in a physical battle that echoed years of practices at the Davis Center and Finneran Pavilion. And while they shared a quick hug as the final buzzer sounded, that bond admittedly wasn’t on Siegrist’s mind in the moment.

“I was trying to post up on the other end; I was trying to take advantage of her size on the other side,” Siegrist, a 6-foot-2 forward, said postgame of her 5-10 counterpart. “I’m very happy for her, obviously, carving a role out in D.C. She’s a great player. She’s going to continue to get better every day.”

There has been a smattering of Big 5 matchups in the WNBA. Former Temple star Candice Dupree was part of several over her 16 WNBA seasons, and the first came against a former Owls teammate, Kamesha Hairston, on May 31, 2007. Temple, then coached by Philly hoops legend Dawn Staley, produced its fair share of WNBA players in the 2000s and 2010s. More recently, Siegrist has matched up a few times against St. Joseph’s grad Natasha Cloud, including Friday night’s 88-77 home loss to the New York Liberty.

“We just played Tash the other night,” Siegrist said. “She’s an unbelievable player. She’s been in this league for a really long time, so credit to her. … [The Big 5 has] such a strong basketball tradition, so [I’m] just happy to have been part of it.”

That sentiment goes both ways.

“Seeing Maddy Siegrist and Lucy Olsen competing against each other at the professional level was a great day for the Wildcats,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said via email. “They’ve shared the same locker room, the same court in college, and now they’re on opposite sides, battling against one another in the WNBA. As a coach, it’s special to witness that kind of journey come full circle.”

Now in her third season with the Wings (8-24), Siegrist still models the work ethic that stood out in college. She has worked her way back from broken bones in consecutive seasons and gets shots up well into the pregame period before going over film in depth.

She finished Sunday’s game with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in 19 minutes. Olsen didn’t score for the Mystics (14-17) but notched one rebound and two assists in nine minutes.

“Senior year, I kind of knew I was getting drafted, but she’s just really blossomed in college and continued to get better and better, so credit to her,” Siegrist said, “to getting to where she needed to be, to getting into the rotation in D.C., I think that’s huge.

“Just happy for her. She’s worked really hard, so she deserves it.”

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Getting drafted is one thing — there were “happy tears” that night in the Olsen household when Lucy was drafted in the second round (23rd overall) — but actually securing one of the 156 WNBA roster spots is another, especially for later-round picks. Not knowing whether she’d make the team was tough on Olsen, but she’s averaging 3.7 points in 28 games. Having a role model like Siegrist, who’s averaging a career-high 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 14 games, has helped her through her rookie season.

“She’s been a really helpful voice just because she’s been through it all,” Olsen said. “She’s just been there for me, knowing that, rookie season, you have a lot of ups and downs, and just be ready for whatever comes your way.”

In the offseason, Siegrist is a familiar face around the Villanova program. She’s helped coach the last two seasons, and she’ll be back “if they’ll have me,” she said with a grin. The forward has high hopes for this season’s Wildcats, who are led by sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe.

Olsen won’t be around as much; she’ll be playing in Australia with the Townsville Fire. But that doesn’t mean her days playing in Philly are over.

“I just hope I get to play in Philly one day … either if it’s against Philly or on their team, it’ll be great for them to get a team,” she said. “The fans will be great there.”