UConn’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa returns to be part of Connecticut Sun’s new era

UNCASVILLE – Olivia Nelson-Ododa was startled from sleep at 4 a.m. in Melbourne, Australia, the place she was within the midst of her season with the Melbourne Boomers of the Girls’s Nationwide Basketball League.

When she answered her cellphone that early January morning, she realized extra of the realities of basketball as a enterprise. The Los Angeles Sparks had traded her to the Connecticut Solar.

Former UConn star Olivia Nelson-Ododa is coming again to Connecticut as Solar commerce veteran level guard Jasmine Thomas to Los Angeles Sparks

“It was a kind of calls the place you’re like, ‘oh, wow, I didn’t anticipate that in the midst of the evening,” Nelson-Ododa mentioned Sunday, after wrapping up apply along with her new staff. “It’s a enterprise. My first thought course of was, okay, how can I get adjusted, attempt to discuss to the workers, and turn into acquainted with them and simply wrap my thoughts round getting ready for that subsequent step.”

She was, not less than, going again to previous haunts.

Nelson-Ododa, or ONO to her followers at UConn, the place she performed in 133 video games, beginning 96, needed to get her thoughts round a variety of conditions enjoying underneath the microscope for Geno Auriemma’s Huskies, reaching the Remaining 4 thrice in three tries between 2019 and 22. (There was no event in 2020.)

She was drafted within the second spherical, No. 19 total, by the Sparks and made the staff as a rookie, enjoying in 30 video games, beginning six, averaging 14.5 minutes, averaging 4.0 factors and a pair of.9 rebounds final season. When the Solar started to interrupt up the core that had reached the WNBA Finals twice, it received Nelson-Ododa again as a part of the commerce that despatched Jasmine Thomas to LA.

“For ‘Liv, it’s nearly getting expertise on this league,” mentioned Stephanie White, the brand new Solar coach. “Day-after-day in apply, she’s going to go in opposition to Bri Jones, it’s going to make her higher. With the ability to take one other step ahead in her profession by way of improvement, talent improvement, movie improvement, understanding what’s coming at her. Now, she is in a brand new system, it’s nonetheless going to take a while.”

Nelson-Ododa, 6 ft 5, will begin going head-to-head with Brionna Jones, one of many Solar’s returning veterans, later within the week. Jones was one of many gamers recovering from an extended returning journey from abroad, as was one other former Husky, Tiffany Hayes, acquired from Atlanta, and Natisha Heideman.

However 15 gamers are getting their first publicity to the free, quick fashion White plans to implement, in practices all week.

“I like how Coach Steph is de facto emphasizing transition and getting up and down the ground,” Nelson-Ododa mentioned. “That’s one thing I’m accustomed to after 4 years at UConn, that fast-pace, transition sport. She’s emphasizing shifting the ball, getting up and down the courtroom, and that’s an enormous step in the proper route by way of the place this staff can go along with the individuals we have now.”

Taking part in at UConn proved to be the most effective preparation for a professional profession, as Nelson-Ododa is studying and appreciating as her profession strikes ahead.

“Even my first coaching camp,” she mentioned, “I felt like [the UConn coaches) really helped prepare us, especially in understanding the game, learning the X’s and O’s, making reads, because everything was just based off of reads. It was never just a set, defined action we were doing, it was reading off each other, so coming to the next level it has been huge to carry that on over. This first practice, this transition, a lot of these drills we did today were exactly what we did at UConn.”

Connecticut, too, is a unique place to play basketball. When Nelson-Ododa walked into the Mohegan Sun Arena for the first time as a member of the Sun, she immediately envisioned the seats filled with loud fans, as they were when she played in conference tournament games here with the Huskies. The Sun have been one of the most successful WNBA franchises, despite being a stand-alone, with no NBA franchise in town. The balance of power in the league is shifting toward “super teams,” like the Liberty and Aces, so the Sun will have to fight to keep their niche.

“It’s incredible how women’s basketball supporters can just flock here,” Nelson-Ododa said. “Doesn’t matter the age, they find a way to get here. It’s great for growing the game. This is definitely one of the places where it has been more stable in having that consistent support.”

The pace, the grueling schedule and physical nature of the pro game required adjustments, but Nelson-Ododa had veterans around her in Los Angeles to help with that.

“But at the end of the day, the biggest thing is learning it’s a business, too,” Nelson-Ododa said. “There’s a lot of movement, a lot of things happening within the league. Going to a different team, getting traded, you have to learn the ropes and bring whatever skill set you have coming into this league to this team.”

Sun sign Diamond Battles

After practice Sunday, the Sun signed guard Diamond Battles to a training camp contract. Battles averaged 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals for the University of Georgia, where she played as a grad transfer. Previously, she played for Central Florida. … Alexis Morris, picked 22nd overall by the Sun, had only a little time to celebrate the national championship she won with LSU. “I was kind of caught up in the national championship, then I kind of flipped a switch a week before coming here,” Morris said. “I didn’t really get to enjoy the national championship, but life moves and you have to get it on.” … Hayes, 33, is getting at least three days to rest and get reacclimated after returning from her season in Turkey. … The Sun open the season May 19 at Indiana, and start the home schedule May 21 against Washington.