In-depth interview with Olivia Nelson-Ododa's high school coach:
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SCORE ATLANTA: How would you describe Olivia’s game?
KIMBERLY GARREN: Olivia’s an impact player. People see her sheer height and obviously know she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. However, I think her strongest point is that she’s so versatile. You have to guard her from rim to rim. She can handle the ball and pressure in the backcourt. She can pop a three in your face and then she can go body you up inside, and anything in between. So she’s just hard to guard, because offensively, she has every part of the game. And then defensively, her sheer size allows teams to be able to step up pressure, and then if they get beat, knowing they have her behind them, and it’s an awesome thing for the entire team.
SA: What is her biggest strength right now?
KG: I think being able to score, catching the ball away from the basket, and being able to score away from the basket, is her biggest strength right now, catching the ball in the 15-footer range and either being able to shoot or take you to the rim. I think that’s big. She moves so well with the ball in her hand.
SA: What will she continue working on before she gets to UConn?
KG: Obviously someone like here, like most girls, working on strength and agility. And basketball skill-wise, continuting to develop that shot so that she is an automatic three-point shooter as well as an inside person. With the strength and agility comes the speed of picking up the defense, and she’s really just fine-tuning a lot of things that she’s been working on, getting ready for UConn.
SA: How will she fit in right away at UConn, which has made 11 straight Final Fours?
KG: She wanted to go to UConn, she wanted to be challenged. And she didn’t want to go where she knew she would walk in and be the best. So she’s going into a program where she knows she’ll have to earn her time. She’s seen some of the comments that have been made about the freshman class this year, and she knows she’s going to have to show it at practice. She knows that she’s going to be expected to handle the ball, she knows that she’s going to be expected to shoot and really guard people that are potentially smaller than her, obviously, because they are such a big lineup at UConn. When you go play for him, he’s going to make you a better player, I think that’s what she’s so excited about.
McDonald’s All-American Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Winder-Barrow | Score Atlanta