Odyssey Sims Bio
Odyssey Celeste Sims is an American professional basketball player who is currently signed to the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association. A guard known for her scoring and playmaking, Sims has played professionally in the United States, South Korea, and Turkey since being drafted in 2014. She is also a two-time Associated Press All-American and a three-time Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American from her college career at Baylor University.
Born and raised in Texas, Sims built one of the most decorated résumés in Baylor history before becoming a steady WNBA contributor and an off-season star overseas. She has represented the United States in international competition and was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in November 2024.
Early Life and Background
Odyssey Celeste Sims was born on July 13, 1992, in Irving, Texas. She grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and attended MacArthur High School in Irving, where she graduated in 2010. At MacArthur, she quickly established herself as one of the top high school guards in the country, rated the number one point guard in the class of 2010 and earning the WBCA/State Farm National High School Player of the Year award. Her high school jersey was later retired by the school in recognition of her impact.
Sims was also a 2010 McDonald’s All-American, capping a senior season that made her one of the most heavily recruited guard prospects in her class. Her early development in the Irving basketball community, combined with strong family support, helped prepare her for the jump to the highest level of college competition.
Path to Professional Basketball
Sims committed to Baylor University, where she played four seasons from 2010 to 2014 under head coach Kim Mulkey. As a freshman in 2010–11, she was named National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and a first-team All-Big 12 selection. Her combination of quickness, court vision, and scoring instincts quickly translated to the college game.
In her sophomore season, Sims helped lead Baylor to a perfect 40–0 record and the 2012 NCAA Championship, defeating Notre Dame 80–69 in the title game. She shared team Most Valuable Player honors that season with teammate Brittney Griner. Sims returned to co-MVP form as a junior before posting her strongest statistical season as a senior in 2013–14, when she averaged 28.5 points per game and scored a career-high 48 points against West Virginia.
Odyssey Sims Career
Early Career (2010–2014): Baylor Bears
During her four seasons at Baylor, Sims became one of the most decorated players in program history. She was a four-time first-team All-Big 12 selection and a three-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team honoree. In her senior year alone she swept major national awards, winning the Wade Trophy, the Nancy Lieberman Award, the Dawn Staley Award, and the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, while also being named Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Sims was twice named a first-team AP All-American in 2013 and 2014, added a second-team AP selection in 2012, and was a three-time WBCA Coaches’ All-American and three-time USBWA All-American. Her college résumé was later honored with induction into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame on November 1, 2024.
WNBA Breakthrough (2014–2017): Tulsa Shock, Dallas Wings, and Los Angeles Sparks
Sims was drafted second overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2014 WNBA Draft and immediately stepped into the starting lineup at shooting guard. She scored a career-high 39 points in a 95–93 loss to the San Antonio Stars that season and finished her rookie year averaging 16.7 points and 4.2 assists per game, earning a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
After a knee-injury-shortened 2015 campaign, Sims returned healthy in 2016 when the franchise relocated to Dallas and became the Dallas Wings. In February 2018, she re-signed with the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency. On August 24, 2017, she scored a season-high 28 points with eight assists and six rebounds in an 82–67 win over the Phoenix Mercury, helping Los Angeles reach the WNBA Finals before falling to the Minnesota Lynx in five games.
In 2019, Sims was again re-signed by the Sparks after they matched an offer sheet from the Phoenix Mercury. On April 22, 2019, she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Alexis Jones and took over as the starting point guard. That season she was voted into the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game and named to the All-WNBA Second Team, the strongest individual recognition of her WNBA career to that point.
Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream Era (2020–2021)
The 2020 WNBA season was shortened to 22 games and played in a bubble at IMG Academy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sims missed time that year after giving birth to her first child in April before returning in August. She started seven of her 13 games down the stretch, helping the Lynx reach the semifinals, where they were swept by the eventual champion Seattle Storm.
On March 1, 2021, Sims signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Dream. She appeared in 30 games, averaging 25.1 minutes and 8.7 points per game, though the Dream finished 8–24 and missed the playoffs.
Dallas Wings Return and Indiana Fever Era (2022–Present)
Sims re-signed with the Minnesota Lynx on May 3, 2022, but was released on May 13, 2022, after the team began the season 0–3. On August 3, 2022, she signed a seven-day contract with the Connecticut Sun to finish that season.
On June 6, 2023, Sims returned to the Dallas Wings on a hardship contract and later signed a rest-of-season deal on June 28, 2023. In 2024 she was not part of the Wings’ training camp roster, served as a captain in Athletes Unlimited’s Dallas-based season, and returned to the Wings on a hardship contract before joining the Los Angeles Sparks on a seven-day hardship deal on August 17, 2024. Sims re-signed with the Sparks on February 2, 2025, before being waived on July 2, 2025, after averaging 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 12 games. On August 10, 2025, she signed with the Indiana Fever on a hardship contract to help the club weather multiple injuries.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sims is a left-handed guard whose game is built on quickness, deep shooting range, and creative playmaking in the pick-and-roll. Throughout her career she has been effective at both shooting guard and point guard, finishing multiple seasons averaging better than three assists per game while scoring in double figures. Her basketball IQ and perimeter defensive instincts have helped her remain a productive role player even as her role has shifted from franchise lead to veteran facilitator.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Sims’s signature moments are her 39-point rookie outburst against the San Antonio Stars, her first career WNBA Finals trip with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2017, and her 2019 WNBA All-Star selection with the Minnesota Lynx. She also set a Baylor single-game record with 48 points against West Virginia and later helped the United States win gold at the 2011 and 2013 Summer Universiade.
Odyssey Sims Career Wins
Odyssey Sims has compiled a versatile professional résumé across the WNBA and international leagues. Her career wins include an NCAA Championship with Baylor in 2012, WNBA playoff series victories with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2017 and the Minnesota Lynx in 2020, and multiple league titles in South Korea and Turkey during the WNBA off-season.
NCAA and WNBA Highlights
Sims won the 2012 NCAA Championship with Baylor as part of a 40–0 season and reached the WNBA Finals with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2017, where the team fell to the Minnesota Lynx in five games. In 2019 she was named a WNBA All-Star and to the All-WNBA Second Team, and she helped the Lynx reach the semifinals again in the 2020 WNBA season.
Other Wins and Performances
Off the WNBA calendar, Sims played for Bucheon KEB-Hana Bank in South Korea during the 2014–15 season, then spent several Turkish League stints with Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi, Botaş SK, Adana ASKİ SK, and Kayseri Basketbol. She also represented the United States at the 2011 and 2013 Summer Universiade, winning gold in both tournaments and earning co-Most Valuable Player honors in 2013.
Odyssey Sims Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Little public information is available about Odyssey Sims’s family background beyond her upbringing in Irving, Texas. She has generally kept her personal and family life private throughout her professional career.
Personal Life
Sims became a mother in April 2020, giving birth to her first child during the WNBA’s pandemic-shortened season. She returned to play for the Minnesota Lynx later that summer, starting seven of her 13 appearances. No other personal-life details are confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Odyssey Sims began the 2025 WNBA season with the Los Angeles Sparks, re-signing with the club on February 2, 2025, and serving as a veteran guard in the backcourt rotation. She averaged 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 12 games before being waived by the Sparks on July 2, 2025, as the team reshaped its roster around younger players.
On August 10, 2025, Sims signed a hardship contract with the Indiana Fever, joining a roster that was managing several injury absences. Her veteran poise and perimeter scoring were viewed as assets for a Fever team competing in a tight playoff race in the second half of the season.
Looking ahead, Sims’s role with Indiana offered an opportunity to contribute to a contender and potentially extend her WNBA career into the postseason. Her combination of shooting, playmaking, and experience continued to make her a dependable short-term option for clubs navigating injuries late in the 2025 campaign.