Odyssey Sims Reflects On Her Intense Matchups With Lindsay Whalen

Lindsay Whalen and Odyssey Sims have had a long rivalry.

When the Lynx and the Sparks went head-to-head in the quest for championships, their point guards were matched up as they led their teams. Sims, now a member of the Lynx, remembers defending Whalen and forcing the ball out of her hands as an incredibly critical component to helping the Sparks compete.

“The scouting report was pretty simple—pressure her, get the ball out of her hands as much as possible. She’s a floor general. It makes it harder to run the offense when she doesn’t bring the ball up,” said Sims. “Make sure she has the ball as little as possible. That’s a compliment to her. She was a great player, still is a great player.”

With the Lynx set to retire Whalen’s jersey on Saturday when they play the Sparks, Sims reflected on what has been an intense rivalry between the two players.

“She’s competitive. She’s as competitive as I am. I think both of us just wanted to win, and that’s something you can never take away from us,” said Sims. “Competitive nature goes a long way, but there’s nothing personal off the court. Everything is on the court. Off the court it’s like it never happened.”

Obviously, there is a ton of respect between the two players, both of whom would do anything for their teams. Now Sims is playing a similar role on the Lynx to what Whalen played for all those championships—both players possess legendary competitiveness. It’s fitting that Sims will be there when Whalen’s jersey goes into the rafters of Target Center, and it’s an added bonus that this time, Sims and Whalen are on the same side.

You can see the Lynx retire Whalen’s jersey on Saturday by purchasing tickets here.