MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced the team has signed guard Odyssey Sims to a training camp contract. In subsequent moves, the Lynx have waived guards Layshia Clarendon, Crystal Dangerfield and Yvonne Turner along with forwards Rennia Davis and Kayla Jones and center Hannah Sjerven. Per team policy, terms of Sims’ deal were not released.
Sims, a 5-8 guard, most recently played for the Atlanta Dream where she averaged 8.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the 30 games (28 starts) last season. The eight-year veteran returns to Minnesota where she spent two seasons, including arguably her best in 2019 where she earned All-WNBA Second Team honors and her first All-Star appearance after leading the Lynx with 14.5 points (14th in the league) and 5.4 assists per game (fourth in the league) in 34 contests (all starts). Selected second overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2014 WNBA Draft, Sims earned All-Rookie Team honors after tallying a career-high 16.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 4.2 apg in 34 games (31 starts). She holds career averages of 12.3 points, 3.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 233 games.
Clarendon, a 5-9 guard, appeared in 21 games (20 starts) for Minnesota in 2021, with the Lynx going 16-5 in those contests. The nine-year veteran averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists on 25.7 minutes per game in a Lynx uniform while shooting a career-best 51.7% from the floor, 35.7% from deep and 78.4% from the free throw line. Clarendon led the Lynx in assists on 16 occasions, including a season-best nine assists twice (June 23 and July 9).
Dangerfield, a 5-5 guard, finished her second WNBA season by appearing in 31 games where she registered 7.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 20.1 minutes per game. Announced as the 2020 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Dangerfield ranked second among rookies (11th overall) in scoring with a team-high 16.2 ppg and second among rookies in assists with a team-best 3.6 apg. Dangerfield completed the winter season in Israel, helping Elitzur Ramla win the league championship prior to arriving to this year’s training camp. She averaged 18.3 ppg and 5.3 apg in 19 contests overseas.
Turner, a 5-10 guard, scored a game-high 15 points, with 13 collected during the fourth quarter stretch, in Minnesota’s May 1 preseason victory over the Las Vegas Aces. She added 12 points, connecting on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line, two assists, two rebounds and one steal in 16:46 minutes of play in the preseason game at Washington Mystics on April 27. In her most recent WNBA campaign with the Phoenix Mercury in 2019, she saw action in 29 games (14 starts) in her third WNBA season, averaging career bests of 6.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 2.3 apg in 20.5 mpg.
Davis, a 6-1 forward, was selected by the Lynx as the ninth overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. The Tennessee product was sidelined for the entire 2021 season due to a stress fracture in her left foot. In Minnesota’s May 1 preseason contest, she notched a double-double contributing 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. She split this winter season between Australia and Israel where she contributed 12.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in three WNBL contests for Sydney Uni and registered 23.1 ppg and 13.8 rpg in nine appearances for Israeli club Elitzur Holon.
Jones, a 6-2 forward from North Carolina State, was selected by Minnesota as the 22nd overall pick of the 2022 WNBA Draft. In two preseason games for the Lynx, she contributed a total of six points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
Sjerven, a 6-3 center from the University of South Dakota, was Minnesota’s 28th overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft. The Rogers, Minn. native saw action in both preseason games for Minnesota where she collected a total of 12 points, 10 rebounds and one assist.
The Lynx will tip-off their 24th WNBA season, presented by Mayo Clinic, at Seattle on Friday, May 6 at 9:00 p.m. CT. The Lynx return to Target Center for their home opener on Sunday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. to take on the Washington Mystics. Single game tickets and full-season memberships are available by visiting www.lynxbasketball.com/membership or by calling 612-367-8400.