UMD’s Brooke Olson Continues Dominant Play Thanks to Advice From Her Mom

Olson's mother Darla played college basketball at Michigan Tech.

DULUTH, Minn. – Last season, UMD’s Brooke Olson dominated on the hardwood, earning NSIC Player of the Year honors. And after the pandemic cut her sophomore season short, not allowing her to showcase her talents during the NCAA tournament, the Rice Lake native made sure to carry over that play into this year.

Olson is currently tops in the NSIC in scoring, second in field goal percentage and sixth in rebounding. One aspect of her game she was looking improve on is expanding her shooting range, which helps allow her and forward Sarah Grow to play on the floor at the same time. So she got some advice from a very reliable source.

“My mom really kind of hounded me. She’s like you got to get all three dimensions. You got to have a pull-up. You got to have a lot of outside game and getting to the rim this year, just to be a triple threat. Especially with having Sarah inside and she’s so good in that position, that I knew that I had to just kind of step up and have my opportunity out beyond the arc and just have a lot of dimensions going into this season this year,” Olson said.

“Her patience and her poise and the knowledge of the game really allows her to see things in the first half and the second half. I think just our team’s basketball IQ, but it’s Brooke’s patience and poise to allow her teammates to do some things, too. She doesn’t feel that pressure to have to do everything all the time,” said head coach Mandy Pearson.

Olson’s mother Darla played college basketball at Michigan Tech. The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Minnesota State Moorhead.