Front and center for Nelson-Ododa
STORRS — Two years ago, Olivia Nelson-Ododa was playing in the shadow of two All-Americans — or, as UConn coach Geno Auriemma likes to say, living in a different neighborhood.
“She was in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood,” Auriemma said. “Be a kid and just hang out.”
Her address, figuratively speaking, has since changed, though.
Nelson-Ododa is no longer a complementary player, but a centerpiece. Or, at least, that’s what the 6foot-5 junior needs to be if the Huskies are to reach their potential and make another Final Four this April.
“We,” Auriemma said, “want to be able to count on Liv to say, ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do tonight.’ …
“Whatever rebound (Katie Lou Samuelson) used to get or (Napheesa Collier) used to get, you’ve got to get those now. That changes things a bit, but it’s a great opportunity for her.”
Up to this point in the season, Nelson-Ododa has been mostly reliable. She’s averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. The Huskies, as expected, are off to a perfect 4-0 start, and will visit 7-0 Villanova Tuesday night in Big East play.
But the challenge of course is sustaining, if not improving upon those numbers, as the season wears on, especially in the games that’ll shape UConn’s path to the NCAA tournament.
For Nelson-Ododa, that means avoiding the kind of night she had last year against defending national champion Baylor, in which she was 0-for-8 from the field and failed to score.
“If you said we were going to get 16 and 11, 17 and 11, 18 and 11 from Liv every night, regardless of who the opponent is, I would tell you, ‘Wow, we have a chance to be a really good team,’” Auriemma said.
The Huskies have more size and depth — more talent overall, really. Still, few on the roster are as important as Nelson-Ododa, a shot-blocking, rimprotecting big with an
emerging offensive game.
Lately, good things have been happening when Nelson-Ododa’s on the court. She didn’t miss a shot against Creighton, sinking all nine attempts from the floor, including her first career 3-pointer, in a 24point night. She followed that up with another strong performance (16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds) against Xavier.
“Every time she gets the ball in the lane, she has an opportunity to go 1-on-1,” Auriemma said, “and she’s pretty good at getting the ball out, she’s pretty good at that little 15-footer, face up.”
Added junior Christyn Williams: “We get the ball to her in the paint, she’s going to get fouled or score or something.”
Auriemma sees more poise in Nelson-Ododa’s play this season. Nelson-Ododa seconded that, saying the game’s slowed down for her. She’s been efficient (shooting 66.7 percent), and more important, has avoided the foul trouble that occasionally plagued her in the past.
“I think the coaches have made the emphasis on just playing in a more relaxed state, definitely more calm,” Nelson-Ododa said. “And I think not only just me, but as a team, that can really help us.”
She’s also been a mentor to some of the younger Huskies, including 6-3 freshman Aaliyah Edwards, the team’s leading scorer off the bench.
“This year I’ve been put in a different position,” said Nelson-Ododa, one of only three upperclassmen on the roster. “With that comes just a different mentality. I’m definitely trying to just slow down and be patient.”