(This is the 20th in a series of features on Baylor Athletics' 25 for 25, which honors Baylor's top 25 athletes in the 25-year history of the Big 12 Conference (1996-21). Selected by a panel of Baylor experts, the final list was picked from a pool of over 100 candidates that came from all 19 intercollegiate sports that the school offers. Through April 1, two honorees per week will be released and will also be featured during game broadcasts on the Baylor Sports Network from Learfield IMG College.)
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Odyssey Sims is one of the most prolific scorers and best passers in the history of the Baylor Lady Bear basketball program and unquestionably the best on-ball defender . . . although
DiDi Richards is certainly making her case for at least being in that discussion.
But, above all of those qualities, she is "one of the most competitive players I've ever coached," Baylor coach
Kim Mulkey said. "She absolutely hated to lose."
And she didn't lose much.
In her four years at Baylor (2010-14), the Lady Bears were 140-10, including a 40-0 run to the national championship in 2012, swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles all four years and made two other Elite Eights.
Following a devastating 82-81 loss to Louisville in the region semifinals in 2013, Sims dropped to the floor, pulled her jersey over her face and kicked her legs in disgust as she lay on her back.
Sims helped the defending national champions come back from a 19-point second-half deficit and gave Baylor its only lead of the game on a pair of free throws with 9.1 seconds left. But, her desperation heave after Louisville retook the lead was off target and after the final buzzer.
"We just kept fighting and never gave up," said Sims, who scored 24 of her game-high 29 points in the second half. "We were right there. We just couldn't finish it."
One of the most decorated players in program history, the 5-foot-8 point guard was a three-time All-American, four-time first-team All-Big 12 pick and won the Wade Trophy, Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award and Big 12 Player of the Year awards as a senior.
Sims finished her career ranked No. 1 in 3-pointers made (258), No. 2 in career assists (641) and steals (331), and third in scoring (2,533). As a senior, she set the Baylor and Big 12 single-season records with 1,062 points, the second-most in Division I history.
Five years ago, Sims had her No. 0 jersey retired, joining an elite list that includes Suzie Snider-Eppers (1973-77), Shelia Lambert (2000-02), Sophia Young (2002-06) and Melissa Jones (2007-11).
"Just being able to come back and Coach Mulkey giving me the opportunity to even have this time means a lot," she said. "It hasn't hit me yet. I'm still overwhelmed just as far as getting my jersey retired. High school is high school, but college is one more step up. It's on a bigger stage. So, I can't even describe how I feel right now.'
Mulkey, who started scouting Sims while she was still in middle school, said she saw "just an unbelievable defensive ball-hawking, on-the-ball guard that too pride in steals and pressuring the ball."
"You saw, really, a point guard that could play the combo guard if needed," Mulkey said, "because she could just score the ball. She could score the 3, she could take you off the dribble."
Comparing her best two on-ball defenders that "separated themselves," Mulkey said the difference in Richards and Sims is "DiDi has the length to alter more shots. Odyssey just had the knack to get more steals."
Taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 Draft by the Tulsa Shock, Sims has played seven seasons in the WNBA with the Shock, Dallas Wings, Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx and signed earlier this month with the Atlanta Dream. In a breakout 2019 season with the Lynx, she averaged 14.5 points and 5.4 assists and earned second-team All-WNBA honors.
Before the 2020 season, which was delayed by the COVID pandemic, Sims gave birth to her first son, Jaiden. In the playoffs, she averaged 15.4 points and a team-leading 1.8 steals in leading the Lynx to the WNBA semifinals.
"I'm so excited to come to Atlanta," Sims said. "I have longstanding relationships with current players on the team, and the connection I developed with (Atlanta head coach Nicki Collen) once I cleared waivers sold me on coming there. I'm ready to get to work."
Collen said the 28-year-old Sims "is a high-level athlete who excels as both a scorer and a facilitator at the offensive end of the floor while having the ability to set the tone at the defensive end of the floor with her intense and physical ball pressure."
Previous:
Kelly Shoppach, Baseball (1999-2001)
Daniel Sepulveda, Football (2002-06)
Brette Reagan, Softball (2006-09)
Yossiana Pressley, Volleyball (2017-21)
Kiara Nowlin, Acrobatics & Tumbling (2013-17)
Johnathan Motley, Men's Basketball (2013-17)
Shea Langeliers, Baseball (2017-19)
Bayano Kamani, Men's T&F (1998-2001)
Jason Jennings, Baseball (1997-99)
Brittney Griner, Women's Basketball (2009-13)
Robert Griffin III, Football (2008-11)
Dawn Greathouse Siergij, Soccer (1997-2000)
Benedikt Dorsch, Men's Tennis (2002-05)
Corey Coleman, Football (2013-15)
Whitney Canion Reichenstein, Softball (2009-14)
Trayvon Bromell, Men's T&F (2014-15)
Stacey Bowers-Smith, Women's T&F (1996-99)
Andrew Billings, Football (2013-15)
Benjamin Becker, Men's Tennis (2001-05)
