Lynx leading scorer Odyssey Sims joins WNBA bubble, must serve suspension
The Minnesota Lynx are atop the WNBA bubble standings a quarter of the way into the condensed schedule and they’re about to add their 2019 leading scorer to the mix.
Odyssey Sims is in a mandatory quarantine on the IMG Academy campus and the Lynx placed her on the active roster, they announced Thursday. She could be out of quarantine as early as Sunday, but will still have to serve a two-game suspension handed down last fall.
Sims joins leading Lynx in bubble
Sims, 28, gave birth to a baby boy in April and did not travel with the team to Bradenton, Florida, in early July. She opted to spend a little more time with her young son and heal from labor, but said she would join the team at some point.
The 5-foot-8 guard averaged a team-high 14.5 points per game in her first year with the Lynx and a career-high 5.4 assists per game. Sims averaged 15.6 points per game in her first three seasons with the Tulsa/Dallas franchise, but averaged only nine points in two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Lynx waived Megan Huff to make room on the roster. Players who have been cut while in the bubble have stayed there to be picked up by other teams. Erica McCall was picked up by Minnesota less than 24 hours after being waived by the Atlanta Dream.
Suspension awaits Sims
Sims spent four nights quarantining at an off-campus hotel before joining the bubble on Thursday, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She will have to spend three more nights in quarantine at IMG and get tested daily.
Once she clears quarantine, she’ll be required to serve her two-game suspension handed down in October 2019. Sims pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge stemming from the previous summer.
It puts her debut at about a week. She could be back around Aug. 13-15, approximately the halfway point of the 22-game season.
What Sims’ arrival means for WNBA standings
The Lynx are one of four teams at 4-1, having only lost to the Seattle Storm (4-1). The Chicago Sky are also atop the standings at 4-1 with a few close contests.
Teams with the longest bench will fare better since games are played about every other day. Adding a leading scorer to a roster with reigning Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier and the WNBA’s leading rebounder Sylvia Fowles is even better.
By the time Sims is back on the court, about half of the season will be gone. She could provide a needed spark with fresh legs. And by the time she is fully back in game mode, the Lynx could be set up for the playoffs. Getting the two highest seeds means a bye to the semifinals and that is more important now in a season crunch.
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