Senior captain of the BSM Girls Basketball team Olivia Olson has reached many achievements in her basketball career. From being invited to Curry Camp (a camp hosted by Steph Curry) to reaching 2,000 points for her high school career, her newest milestone is being named a 2024 McDonald’s All-American.
Being named a McDonald’s All-American is one of the biggest honors you can get as a high school basketball player. Olson, along with the other 23 girls selected, will travel to Houston, Texas in April to play in the All-American game. “Players like Kobe [Bryant] have played in that game, and you can only play when you’re a senior. So it’s really exciting,” Olson said.
Olson has been working almost her whole basketball career in order to be named an All-American. A coach had to nominate her to even be considered. Out of 750 nominees, a committee narrows it down to 24 players. “They consider national rankings, AAU summer leagues, specific camps, and my high school games as well,” Olson said.
Olson found out she was selected by watching the announcement on TV through ESPN. “Getting this recognition means a lot. It’s a great group of people that I was selected with and just being named a McDonald’s All-American is an honor. I’m thankful to everyone who’s helped me along the way to get to where I am, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates’ or coaches’ support,” Olson said.
Last Friday, Olson was able to celebrate her achievement with her family and friends. “We were able to have a celebration last Friday at our local McDonald’s. There were banners and all my friends and family were able to come. It was really special because we got free McDonalds,” Olson said.
Looking forward to April and the game, Olson is excited to see what is in store for her. “I don’t know really what to expect, but I am super excited. I know that there is some exclusive gear that I get. Overall I’m just excited to see everyone and play in the game,” Olson said.