Georgia State University Athletics

OVERVIEW:

Earned a starting role and played the first 20 games before her 2008-09 season was cut short. She had three double-figure games en route to her 131 points (6.6 per game).

Played 558 minutes for Georgia State as a junior and should contribute even more as a senior.

Signed with the program in April during the 2008 Spring signing period as one of the most highly-sought recruits to sign with Georgia State.

Was first-team junior college All-America pick as a sophomore at Labette (Kan.) CC after having been an All-Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Team pick at Southern Illinois.

Tremendous scorer and complete player, who is a skilled rebounder, passer and defender...A competitor who battles on every possession with a warrior-type mentality.

2008-09:

Made her first-ever game at Georgia State memorable with 12 points (8-for-8 free throws) in the win at Clemson (11.22).

Started the first 20 games before her season ended early...Scored 131 points (6.6) with three double-figure scoring games...Had 66 rebounds (3.3) with a pair of games with eight each...Was third on the team with 13 blocked shots and added 22 assists.

Had season-high 20 points (9-for-16 FG) in win over Louisiana Lafayette (12/15) in the UAB Blazer Invitational, with seven rebounds and two assists....Scored 14 points in win over Alabama State (12/5) with 3-for-5 FG and 7-for-8 FT).

Had season-best eight-rebound games vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (12/30) and had eight at Drexel (1/15/09). along with seven rebounds.

Had nine points and five rebounds in win over Delaware State (12/21) and had nine points (4-for-6) and three rebounds in win over Northeastern (1/8)...Added eight points and five rebounds vs. Hofstra (1/25)...Contributed seven points and season-best three blocked shots in win over Mississipi Valley State (12/29).

JUNIOR COLLEGE:

First-team All-America pick who was No. 2 in the nation in scoring with 24.3 points per game for 25-7 team...Shot 57.1 percent from the field and 83.6 percent from the free throw line for Labette CC...Also contributed 7.1 rebounds per game to go with 56 assists and 47 steals.

Was the Conference (Jayhawk) Player of the Year and the Region VI Player of the Year...Was also picked as the National JUCO Player of the Week and the Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week after scoring 100 points in three-game span (35, 38 and 27), while shooting 77 percent (37-of-48) from the floor and 93 percent from the free throw line (26-of-28).

Aggressiveness got her to the free throw line 244 times in 2007-08 and she capitalized with 204 made...Her 778-point season included a game with 32 points and three games with 30 points, in addition to her 100-point week listed earlier...In one of those 30-point games (KCKCC), she made 18-of-20 free throws...In 38-point game vs. Fort Scott, Dana was 13-of-17 from the field and 12-of-12 from the free throw line...Had 10-rebound game vs. Clarendon.

Played through stress fractures in her feet for eight weeks in 2007-08 to earn All-America status. Spent spring and summer healing and doing rehabilitation work to be ready for 2008-09.

Coming out of JUCO, Olsen was recruited by SEC, Big 12 and C-USA schools.

COLLEGE:

Heavily recruited out of high school and signed on first day of Fall 2005 with Southern Illinois of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Named to All-Freshman team in the MVC...Became a starter as a freshman on a 21-11WNIT-bound Saluki postseason team...Played 32 games with 24 starts and 721 minutes (22.5).

Top scoring games were 24 points vs. Murray State and 21 points vs. Indiana State...Averaged 8.4 points and shot 51.8 percent from the field.

Had 10 double-figure games as freshman with one double-double game (13 points, 10 rebounds vs. Indiana of the Big 10)...Just missed second double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds vs. Northern Iowa.

Shot .518 from the field (101-195) and .725 from the charity stripe (66-91)...Had 117 rebounds (3.7) with 34 assists, 18 steals and nine blocked shots...Led team in scoring four times...Scored in double figures in first collegiate game (Missouri of the Big XII on 5-of-6 field goals for 11 points)...Was one of four players who voluntarily left team in July of 2007.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Olsen was recognized as a first-team all-state pick in Kansas after a stellar senior season that saw her average 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game for Shawnee Mission South... Her honor list also included All-Sunflower League and All-Johnson County first team recognition under Coach Ron Millard.

During junior year, she excelled with 17.0 points and 8.3 rebounds a game in being named second-team all-state and first-team All-Sunflower League...Selected for the KBCA All-Star game.

As senior, team was fourth in Class 6A playoffs, losing to the eventual state champs...Came within two points of school single-season scoring record that is held by one of her first AAU coaches, Kate Benson, and Dana wears number 40 in her honor...Was a member of the Shawnee Mission South Lady Raiders, a school nickname chosen when the school opened for the then-popular rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders.

First excelled in soccer and trained with the Kansas Olympic Development team, but made the move over to basketball in junior high.

Started a “Wear Pink” night at her school after her coach’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The theme, “Will It Be Me?” was for education and fund-raising. That program still continues at Mission South and has spread to 10 additional schools in her league.

Played AAU basketball with Team Exel in 2005 for Coach Todd Baugh and won the Illinois Super Regionals in finishing in the top 20 in nationals...Considers Coach Baugh one of the major influences on her game and her life that developed dramatically under his tutelage...Coach Baugh passed away on June 25, 2008, after a battle with pancreatic cancer and Dana will dedicate her 2008 season in his memory by puttng No. 33 on her shoes.

Olsen received recruiting interest out of high school from Southern Illinois, Kansas and Missouri State.

PERSONAL:

Full name is Dana Elizabeth Olsen... Born Feb. 5, 1988 in Overland Park, Kansas... Parents are Lorin and Cindy Olsen... The second of four children, Dana has an older sister, Meredith, a younger sister, Bailey, and a younger brother, Adam...Goes nowhere without her iPod and cell phone...Enjoys scary movies, cats, amusement parks and road trips...Her Aunt Tracy, a former field hockey player and coach, is now a professional softball umpire...Dana will major in special education with a long-term goal of teaching and coaching in high school. Specifically, she’d like to return to coach at her alma mater...Aspires to play pro ball overseas or in the WNBA.

OLSEN'S NCAA CAREER STATISTICS