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Westbrook, Nelson-Ododa adjusting to life as pros
After playing together in the UConn navy blue and white for the past three years, Evina Westbrook and Olivia Nelson-Ododa faced off against each other for the first time in their professional debuts on April 23 in Seattle during a preseason matchup between the Storm and Los Angeles.
For the former Huskies, the moment made their new lives as WNBA players all the more real.
“Kinda surreal at first because it was literally like two and-ahalf weeks ago we were playing on the same team,” Nelson-Ododa told Hearst Connecticut Media Friday. “So, seeing her in a different uniform and having to go against her, it was definitely kinda odd at first but then once we both settled into the game and stuff, that kinda goes away. But just initially it was like, ‘Wow.’”
“We looked at each other and we just shook our heads and we just started laughing like, ‘This is crazy,’” Westbrook said last Sunday during Seattle’s media day.
The WNBA season starts May 6 and with exception of Christyn Williams — who is out for the season with a knee injury — UConn’s rookies remain on their team rosters through the first rounds of cuts and preseason games.
Both Nelson-Ododa and Westbrook have had impressive debuts in their preseason games over the past two weeks of training camp while continuing their transition to the WNBA world and life as a professional.
“I’ve been trying to live in the moment and really just take it day by day,” Nelson-Ododa said. “I’ve been trying to focus on that instead of, ‘Oh what’s gonna happen next week? What’s gonna happen with this? Who’s gonna make decisions for this?’ like I’ve really just been trying to limit it to one training camp practice at a time and really just
keep it as simple as that. I think that definitely helps me especially with the transition where you’re going from one coast to another.”
Williams was the first Husky off the board in the WNBA Draft on April 11. Washington selected the former UConn starter with the No. 14 overall pick (second selection in the second round). However, her rookie season was cut short just a few days into camp.
On Wednesday, April 20, the Mystics announced Williams suffered a seasonending knee injury that would require surgery. The team has yet to release a timeline for her return and despite having to waive her off the roster due to salary cap room, will allow her to continue to utilize the franchises’ resources for recovery support.
“We are heartbroken for Christyn and will miss her greatly,” Washington head coach Mike Thibault said in a release. “She was off to a terrific start in training camp, and I know she will work diligently to make a comeback next season. She will have our full support and all of our resources during her rehab. She is part of the Mystics family.”
While Williams stayed on the East Coast, both Westbrook and NelsonOdoda made the crosscountry move out west following the draft.
Nelson-Ododa was selected No. 19 overall by Los Angeles and Westbrook No. 21 overall by Seattle — returning the Oregon native to the Pacific Northwest.
“I was personally excited for us to draft Evina,” former UConn great and current Seattle forward Breanna Stewart said. “I think that she’s a player that can obviously affect the game on both ends. She’s smart. She’s kinda been through it all on and off the court, and just gives us a new presence that we need.”
Seattle faced Los Angeles for each teams’ first preseason game of the spring last Saturday. While the Storm won, 81-68, Nelson-Ododa led LA with 25 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes on top of five assists and two blocks.
The 6-foot-5 center said the biggest adjustment she’s made to her game has been learning to play with more physicality than in college.
“The physicality, even in practices, and the pace are way different than college and there’s also new rules,” she said. “I’ve been trying to challenge myself to be put in positions where I have to battle more often than not and just trying to challenge myself in that way to get better. I think that’s going to be the only way to really help adjust yourself in terms of just not shying away from things like that.”
Nelson-Ododa celebrated draft night back home in Winder, Georgia. She kept the crowd small with about nine people made up of her family, close friends and her high school coach.
Since moving out to California, she’s has gotten a first-hand experience of the city’s deep sports scene. Not only did she and her Sparks’ teammates attend a Clippers game but Magic Johnson also made an appearance at the team’s practice.
“My first couple days of training camp everything was just kinda like ‘OK, we’re in the Lakers’ facility.’ Magic Johnson popped up so that was kinda surreal, ‘Like wow,’” Nelson-Ododa said before laughing. “Just little things like that just definitely before the first preseason game where it kinda hit me like ‘OK this is kinda getting real now. We’re in game mode and stuff. Whole different team, whole different atmosphere.’”
About a two-and-a-halfhour flight north of Los Angeles, Westbrook has found her place among one of the league’s most iconic franchises.
It was Westbrook who made the winning play during the Storm’s final preseason game Thursday at Phoenix. Her 3-pointer with 10 seconds left gave the Storm the 80-78 victory as Westbrook finished with 15 points and five rebounds while going 3 of 4 from the 3-point range.
“I feel like she would probably tell you herself, it wasn’t the best performance early on but that’s what made the whole game so great,” Storm teammate and UConn great Sue Bird said. “She stayed with it. She didn’t let miss cues or bad possessions get the best of her. And then when it came time to make plays, she was ready to make them and that’s really what this league is about.
“Sadly, none of us get to play perfect every single game. We’re all gonna make mistakes, we’re all gonna have tough nights, but it’s those players that can kind of withstand those tough moments and find ways to make big plays. And I feel like that’s how I would describe her game. She just stayed with it, stayed with it. … I think that’s really telling of who she is as a person and a player.”
Westbrook will continue to compete in Seattle’s training camp practice throughout the end of next week when all teams will be forced to make their final cuts — the Storm are expected to play with just 11 players this season — on May 5.
Nelson-Ododa will do the same, starting with the Sparks’ final preseason game Saturday against Phoenix where she’ll get the chance to face off against another former Husky: Diana Taurasi.
“You hear about them playing at UConn, you’ve seen what they’ve accomplished, you watch them in the WNBA and then all of a sudden you’re guarding them in a game,” NelsonOdoda said. “Just seeing Breanna Stewart, even though Sue (Bird) didn’t play (last weekend), seeing her on the bench, just seeing those older players and going against them that was really cool.”