LOS ANGELES – Odyssey Sims has moved on from her time in Los Angeles.
Sims, a 32-year-old journeywoman in the WNBA, spent parts of four seasons with the Sparks. She was on of the 2017 Los Angeles team that went to the WNBA Finals, spending two years there before leaving for Minnesota.
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Seven years later, she returned to L.A. on a hardship contract in August 2024, finishing out the season with the Sparks. They brought her back, and she spent first two months of this season with the Sparks.
Then, on July 4, she was waived following the returns of Rae Burrell and Julie Allemand. Sims played just 12 games with the Sparks in 2025.
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She spent around a month without a team before the Fever signed her to a hardship contract on Aug. 10. On Friday, Sims returned to L.A. and helped architect the Fever’s much-needed 76-75 win.
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And there’s no love lost to her former team.
“I moved on. I’m in a different jersey. I’m with a different organization. So that’s my focus,” Sims said during shootaround. “I’m here. I’m with Indiana now, and like I said, we just want to come out and we want to play hard. Want to play together. Want to get the W.”
Sure enough, Sims was a crucial part of the Fever’s win.
Working through a defense she knows well, Sims drained a 3-pointer to tie the score at 74 with 50 seconds left in the game. Then, 37 seconds of game time later, Indiana was rushing down the court after the Sparks took a 75-74 lead with a free throw. Sims stayed with the Fever’s possession, even after Kelsey Mitchell’s 3-pointer didn’t fall. Aliyah Boston grabbed the crucial offensive rebound and kicked it to Lexie Hull, who passed it to Sims on the 3-point line.
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Sims drove, got right in front of the basket, and dropped in a floater with 13 seconds left.
“I didn’t lose confidence,” Sims said of her mindset in that sequence. “I think my teammates did a great job, along with the coaches, just constantly talking to me. They weren’t worried about my missed shots. It just came down to continue to play, continue to play. They believe in me so much, so that helped me. And I shot it, when I was open. It was do-or-die, and it went in, and I was excited about that.”
Sims, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2014 WNBA draft, hasn’t had a consistent home in the league for the past few years. She has bounced around, most of the time on hardship contracts, since 2022, always looking for an opportunity to prove she belongs in the WNBA.
Sims was a pivotal part of what was a crucial win for the Fever, especially when considering playoff implications. Indiana, at sixth in the league with a 21-18 record, is now three full games ahead of ninth-place Los Angeles (17-20).
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“We had some moments we were better than others, but we dug in,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “… the sense of urgency that we played within those last minute minutes, through some gray area, through some times when it wasn’t perfect. It was a gut check time, and our team stepped up to the challenge.”
So far, Sims has been exactly what the Fever need — especially in the wake of all of their point guard injuries.
Indiana is missing its starting point guard in Caitlin Clark, backup point guards in Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald, and even its emergency backup point guard Sophie Cunningham to injuries. Sims came to the Fever when they were desperate for some consistency and direction at point guard, and she has given it to them.
Finishing with 21 points on Friday, it was the second straight game Sims has scored over 20 points. Since joining the Fever, she is averaging 11.4 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.3 rebounds.
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“Just going off the last few years, just up and down in the league, out the league, hardship contract, being cut, all that stuff really doesn’t matter,” Sims said. “I think I’m the definition of you stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. Take every opportunity that has been given to me. I’m taking full advantage of it. These are opportunities that you can’t let slip away.”
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: After being waived by Sparks, Odyssey Sims helps Fever beat them Friday
