Olivia Nelson-Ododa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Olivia Nelson-Ododa (cropped).jpg
Nelson-Ododa with UConn in 2020
No. 20 – UConn Huskies
PositionPower forward
LeagueBig East Conference
Personal information
Born (2000-08-17) August 17, 2000 (age 21)
Lansing, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Career information
High schoolWinder-Barrow
(Winder, Georgia)
CollegeUConn (2018–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Puerto Rico Team
FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2018 Mexico Team
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Spain Team
Women's 3x3 basketball
Representing the  United States
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2019 Peru Team

Olivia Nelson-Ododa (born August 17, 2000) is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference.

High school career[]

Nelson-Ododa played basketball for Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia. As a sophomore, she was named Athens Banner-Herald Co-Player of the Year after averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game, and leading her team to the Class 6A state final. Nelson-Ododa averaged 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game as a junior before suffering a season-ending knee injury.[1] As a senior, she averaged 19 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks per game, and was named Miss Georgia Basketball.[2] She was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game.[3]

Recruiting[]

Nelson-Ododa was rated a five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2018 class by ESPN. On November 15, 2017, she committed to playing college basketball for UConn over offers from Duke, South Carolina, Florida State and Georgia.[4]

College career[]

As a freshman at UConn, Nelson-Ododa mostly came off the bench, averaging 4.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.[5] On December 22, 2019, she recorded a career-high 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks in a 97–53 win against Oklahoma.[6] As a sophomore, Nelson-Ododa earned Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) honors, and averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and an AAC-best 3.1 blocks per game. She became the fifth player in program history with over 100 blocks in a season.[7] In her junior season, Nelson-Ododa averaged 12 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. She was named Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and to the Second Team All-Big East.[8]

National team career[]

Nelson-Ododa won a bronze medal with the United States at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Spain, where she averaged a team-high 12 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.[9] At the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in Mexico, she averaged 9.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, helping her team win the gold medal.[10] Nelson-Ododa was the youngest player representing the United States at the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup in Puerto Rico, where she won another gold medal.[11]

Nelson-Ododa competed for the United States in 3x3 basketball at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru, and won a gold medal.[12]

Personal life[]

Nelson-Ododa's father, Sebastian Ododa, played basketball for Huntington University and the Kenyan national team.[13] Her older brother, Alonzo, plays professionally and is married to WNBA player Dearica Hamby.[14] Her younger brother, Isaiah, plays college basketball for Tennessee Tech.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "High school player of the week: Winder-Barrow's Olivia Nelson-Ododa". Athens Banner-Herald. February 27, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  2. ^ Holcomb, Todd (March 22, 2018). "Atlanta Tipoff Club names Nelson-Ododa, Hagans as state players of year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  3. ^ "UConn Women's Recruits Williams, Nelson-Ododa Star In McDonald's Game". Hartford Courant. March 28, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  4. ^ Arth, Susie (November 15, 2017). "Olivia Nelson-Ododa commits to Connecticut, sends Huskies from zero to nifty in a hurry". ESPN. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  5. ^ Adamec, Carl (November 6, 2019). "Tall order: UConn needs Nelson-Ododa to stand out". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Feinberg, Doug (December 22, 2019). "Nelson-Ododa has 27 points, 15 rebounds as UConn women's basketball routs Oklahoma without Auriemma". The Bristol Press. Associated Press. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Adamec, Carl (March 13, 2020). "Center of attention". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  8. ^ Adamec, Carl (July 17, 2021). "UConn's Nelson-Ododa making strides, regaining confidence". The Bulletin. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  9. ^ Adamec, Carl (July 19, 2018). "Freshmen getting an education". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Adamec, Carl (August 8, 2018). "With gold in hand, UConn freshmen Williams, Nelson-Ododa prepare for next step". SportsNet New York. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Drumwright, Steve (September 27, 2019). "Olivia Nelson-Ododa Using AmeriCup to Grow and Develop Her Game". USA Basketball. Red Line Editorial. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  12. ^ "U.S. Pan American Games 3x3 Women's Team Golden". USA Basketball. July 29, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Villa, Walter (June 28, 2016). "Olivia Nelson-Ododa hopes to go from goofy to golden in Spain". ESPN. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Fuller, Jim (May 21, 2018). "WNBA's Dearica Hamby bullish on Olivia Nelson-Ododa's potential at UConn". New Haven Register. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  15. ^ "Basketball: Winder-Barrow forward Nelson-Ododa commits to Tennessee Tech". Barrow News-Journal. May 17, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""