NFL
By: Nick Andre
On June 6, veteran point guard Odyssey Sims was signed by the Dallas Wings on a hardship contract. With the departure of Crystal Dangerfield due to an ankle injury, Sims was brought in to be the Wings’ backup point guard behind Veronica Burton. Despite being released after four games, Sims was able to show her value as a two-way point guard who can be a game-changer when she’s on the floor.
Coming into the season, the Wings had high expectations to elevate into a playoff contender. They feature one of the WNBA’s premier scorers in Arike Ogunbowale alongside versatile wing, Satou Sabally. However, it was a big off-season for Dallas as they acquired players like Natasha Howard, Crystal Dangerfield, and Diamond DeShields. Unfortunately l, DeShields was hit with an injury that may keep her sidelined the entire season. Plus Dangerfield’s ankle injury caused concern for the franchise. Luckily, Sims was on the market as a free agent and the Wings decided to sign her without hesitation.
There are only so many roster spots in the WNBA with only 12 teams total. With that being said, many talented players are currently awaiting their opportunity to play in the league. Sims has been one of those players who has been trying to find a permanent roster spot. To end the 2022 season, she signed with the Connecticut Sun and contributed well in their run to the WNBA Finals.
Playing in Dallas, the Wings were in need of a point guard who could run the floor and take pressure off the other teammates while making them better. In years past, Sims has played alongside legendary talents like Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus, and others. Playing with a team who’s still trying to establish themselves as playoff contenders, Sims’ veteran experience played a big role in her two weeks with the franchise.
One area that stood out during Sims’ time with the Wings is her ability to run the halfcourt offense. She did a great job of finding players in their spots and executing the offense to success. In transition, Sims is finding trailers for either a three-pointer or a cut to the rim while also running high-low action with centers. As a point guard, Sims’ job is to be the leader on the floor. She did a great job of setting the table for her teammates to succeed.
While Sims is continuing to run the offense, she has continued to show that she can be a pest on the defensive end. She’s scrappy and not afraid of taking on the challenge. She picks her defender up full court and looks to disrupt the ball-handler and make things uncomfortable. In the halfcourt offense, she’s very active and is great on closeouts and communicating on that end of the floor. In Sims’ four games with the Wings, the Wings held their teams to 84.3 points per game. It’s not a huge drop off from the team’s season average of 85.5 but it shows that Sims is contributing on that end of the floor.
Sims averaged 4.8 points per game to go with 5.8 assists in her four games with the Wings. During that stretch, the team went 2-2 with both wins against the Phoenix Mercury. In one of the Wings’ matchups against the New York Liberty, Sims recorded eight assists as she continued to show her value as a floor general. Once again, she did a great job of setting the table on offense and leading teammates to easy finishes. Unfortunately, Sims’ time with the Wings came to an end following a 79-61 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
In only four games, Odyssey Sims showed that she still has tremendous value as a point guard and her veteran leadership can help teams find success. Her leadership is none other as she continues to be a trusted voice in the locker room and sets examples on the floor. With the way Sims produced for the Wings, she could make that same impact for another franchise as well.
