MINNEAPOLIS – What a difference a year can make.
At this exact time in 2016, fiery point guard Odyssey Sims was left reflecting
on what was a difficult third year in the WNBA as a member of the Dallas Wings.
Always the deferential teammate, Sims’ 14.0 points per game, a team-high, didn’t
lessen the blow of their 11-23 record and failure to make the postseason.
She had grown accustomed to winning. She won a national championship at Baylor
in 2012, was named Big 12 Player of the Year in 2014, and awarded WNBA
All-Rookie Team honors in her inaugural professional campaign. But now, Sims
found herself in unfamiliar territory, as the Sparks and Lynx appeared to be
showing no signs of relinquishing their airtight grasp atop the WNBA. Her shot
at a title appeared to be out of sight for the time being.
Then, February 17th, 2017 happened. Sims was included in a trade with the
reigning champion L.A. Sparks that saw her being sent to a squad that just
months earlier had clawed their way to a WNBA title and was now looking to
become the first team to repeat as champions since those same Sparks did it back
in 2001-2002.
“Dallas is my past and I’m with L.A. now,” Sims said, while donning the
unmistakable purple and gold of the Sparks as they hit the practice floor in
Minneapolis to prepare for another showdown with the Lynx. “I’m happy to be here
and I’m just doing what coach needs and what he asks of me. Everyone on my team
is great and they’ve been helping me since I’ve got here. Any time you have
support from your teammates it really helps.”
Joining as cohesive a group as the L.A. Sparks can be a daunting task, and for
the first couple months of the season it was clear that Sims was experiencing
growing pains. But, once the calendar turned to August and the stakes of each
contest grew in importance, Sims stepped into the spotlight and embraced the
challenge.
Over the course of August and the team’s final two regular season games in
September, Sims averaged an impressive 16.0 points per game. That number
ballooned to 18.3 points per game in the Sparks’ semifinal defeat of Phoenix in
three games, a scoring mark second to only Candace Parker for the most on L.A.’s
roster.
“When Odyssey, Riquina, Tiffany, Sydney, came in this year, I think everyone
just kind of welded in and it was really great,” 2016 WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike
said of Odyssey. “Now you see those people like Odyssey flourishing. When you
join a new team you’re trying to find you comfortable spots and also at the same
time be who you are and I think Odyssey has done a really great job doing that.”
Sims, who began the year as the go to catalyst to bring energy off the bench,
has not only found her groove in L.A., but left head coach Brian Agler with no
other choice but to start the 5’8″ bundle of energy. In the Sparks’ close out
semifinal game against Phoenix it was Sims who tallied a team and playoff
career-high 22 points as L.A. punched its ticket to back and Sims’ her first
trip to a WNBA Finals.
🏀 @Lucky_Lefty0 (22p on 9/12 FG) on today's @LA_Sparks win and her first trip to the #WNBAFinals! #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/rMlAjmfrhc
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 17, 2017
While Odyssey has seen her personal success reach new heights as she’s grown
more comfortable in Los Angeles, she understands the collective power of “we”
when it comes to what’s behind the Sparks’ continued success.
“Our success isn’t about me or what I do on offense, it’s about my teammates,”
Sims said. “I’m surrounded by great players who push me and always bring out the
best in me in every game. I give credits to my teammates and coaches as well
more than anything.”
Sims really did find her shooting stroke against a talented backcourt tandem in
Phoenix of Diana Taurasi and Leilani Mitchell in the semis, but taking on a team
composed of potential Hall of Famers Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, and Seimone
Augustus with Renee Montgomery and Jia Perkins bringing their dynamic play from
the bench, poses a much deeper scenario for potential matchups. Sims understands
this series will test her like never before.
“Whalen is a very, very good point guard, she has the ability to change speeds
and take you off the dribble and she can pull up,” Sims said. “Maya will go down
as one of the greatest, but going into the game we really just have to be
defensive minded. It’s hard to stop great players but we’re just going to do
what we can. Defense is the x-factor in every game you play so we’re just going
to keep preparing for them and try to get stops.”
Stops will be at a premium for L.A. in these crucial games and although Game 1
is still more than 48 hours away Sims’ enthusiasm and excitement are hard to
miss even on the practice floor in an empty arena. She’s grinning from ear to
ear, while at the same time methodically working her way through a shooting
drill with laser sharp focus.
“I’m not nervous at all,” Sims says as she looks to be envisioning a clutch
bucket or hard-nosed stop. “I’m just trying to not be overly excited going into
the game because I know my adrenaline will be pumping. I’ve been working on
staying poised and not getting to excited. I’m still going to have fun and enjoy
it but know that we have a game to win and take it a possession at a time.”
