Olivia Nelson-Ododa Coming Back to CT

[Aluminny69]

Olivia Nelson-Ododa is coming back to Connecticut! Not to UConn but to Mohegan Sun with the Sun!

The Sun will receive:
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Jasmine Walker, and the rights to Kianna Smith.

The Sparks receive:
Jasmine Thomas, and Connecticut’s 2023 first round draft pick (No.10 overall).
Khristina Williams reports

 

[hoopsdiva]

Glad to see ONO in CT, but what is the Sun doing? Between this and the Jonquel Jones giveaway, the Sun is undergoing a serious downgrade.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Glad to see ONO in CT, but what is the Sun doing? Between this and the Jonquel Jones giveaway, the Sun is undergoing a serious downgrade.

They gave up the 2023 pick so maybe they are retooling (tanking gracefully) for a shot at the 2024 pick. Who is mostly likely coming out? Bueckers, Clarke and Fudd? Thinking out loud.

 

[hoopsdiva]

They gave up the 2023 pick so maybe they are retooling for a shot at the 2024 pick. Who is mostly likely coming out? Bueckers and Fudd? Thinking out loud.

Maybe. But IIRC, the odds of getting the top 4 picks are set according to a non playoff team's record over the previous 2 seasons, so they'd have to really tank to have a shot at Bueckers or Caitlin Clark next year. Two years of tanking might get them Fudd, but the interim would be painful to watch.

Also, they did get a #6 pick this year in exchange for JJ.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Maybe. But IIRC, the odds of getting the top 4 picks are set according to a non playoff team's record over the previous 2 seasons, so they'd have to really tank to have a shot at Bueckers or Caitlin Clark next year. Two years of tanking might get them Fudd, but the interim would be painful to watch.

Not sure how that works, but don't Clarke and Bueckers have the option of a covid year...and Bueckers just missed an entire season. So all 3 could potentially end up in the same draft....I think.

 

[Geew1992]

Glad to see ONO in CT, but what is the Sun doing? Between this and the Jonquel Jones giveaway, the Sun is undergoing a serious downgrade.

JJ wanted out of CT. They didn’t have a choice

 

[Bald Husky]

Ty Harris is an upgrade at PG from Jasmine Thomas, who always disappears at Playoff time, plus a #6 instead of #10.

 

[sun]

 

[JoePgh]

Interesting that the Sun made this trade with the guy (Curt Miller) who was their head coach until a few months ago. He has a long working relationship with Jasmine Thomas and is probably counting on her to help him install his offense in LA. He probably doesn't have a lot of faith in Liv, having passed over her in the draft.

The Sun probably hope that Liv can be developed into a near-replacement for Jonquel. I guess there is a chance, but the Sun definitely need a replacement at her position, and it helps if that person is young and has some upside.

The Sun obtained the Liberty's first round pick, so they probably felt that their own lower pick was expendable.

 

[hoopsdiva]

Interesting that the Sun made this trade with the guy (Curt Miller) who was their head coach until a few months ago. He has a long working relationship with Jasmine Thomas and is probably counting on her to help him install his offense in LA. He probably doesn't have a lot of faith in Liv, having passed over her in the draft.

The Sun probably hope that Liv can be developed into a near-replacement for Jonquel. I guess there is a chance, but the Sun definitely need a replacement at her position, and it helps if that person is young and has some upside.

The Sun obtained the Liberty's first round pick, so they probably felt that their own lower pick was expendable.

I was thinking the same thing about Curt Miller and the Thomas trade.

I don't think that Liv is viewed as a replacement for JJ. More like Brionna Jones will replace JJ as the starting 5, and Liv will replace Brionna as the backup. I'm a bit skeptical about Liv's ability to bang with the bigs night in and night out like the Joneses, but I do see some good opportunities for some high-low passing from Liv to Brionna.

We'll have to wait and see how this all works out, and see what other roster moves happen around the league.

 

[Nicvan07]

Maybe they don’t want to play for the new coach…?

 

[ochoopsfan]

Liv missed the last game in Australia with an injury, not sure what?
She was playing solid down under and late in the season with the Sparks.
Wish her the best.

 

[Notyetready]

Glad to see ONO in CT, but what is the Sun doing? Between this and the Jonquel Jones giveaway, the Sun is undergoing a serious downgrade

The Sun get three young players with a lot of upside. Jazmine Walker is a talented 6'3" forward with a bright future, 6'5" ONO proved herself in her rookie season and in Australia. L.A. gets the 5'9" 33-year-old Thomas who tore her ACL last may and sat out the rest of the 22 season and the 10th draft pick, which is what they really needed. Looks to me like Jennifer Rizzotti got a pretty good deal.

 

[Bald Husky]

Needed to replace Jasmine Thomas at PG. Very inconsistent shooter, and 3 point shooting is what the Sun lacked last year. In the paint, they still have Breezy Jones and the best defensive forward in the league, Aalyssa Thomas. I'm glad they kept Carrington, our Baylor demises, but she is a really good player. Getting a #6 pick over a #10 pick is huge. The Sun may have gotten better.

 

[Padutch5]

Not sure how that works, but don't Clarke and Bueckers have the option of a covid year...and Bueckers just missed an entire season. So all 3 could potentially end up in the same draft....I think.

Yes. And add on the NIL factor. It is likely both Bueckers and Fudd make a whole lot more as a collegian under NIL than they would as a pro.

 

[KY Card Fan]

Just saw the story on ESPN website.

Really sorry to see that Kianna Smith apparently ruptured her patellar tendon in December. That's a tough injury to rehab. Sure could use her at Louisville this year.

 

[KY Card Fan]

Yes. And add on the NIL factor. It is likely both Bueckers and Fudd make a whole lot more as a collegian under NIL than they would as a pro.

Bueckers and Fudd will continue to make that money as pros. Gatorade isn't going anywhere....

 

[Crossover]

Yes. And add on the NIL factor. It is likely both Bueckers and Fudd make a whole lot more as a collegian under NIL than they would as a pro.

They can make as much or more in endorsements as pros than in NIL money as collegians.

 

[oldhusky]

Not sure how that works, but don't Clarke and Bueckers have the option of a covid year...and Bueckers just missed an entire season. So all 3 could potentially end up in the same draft....I think.

The extra year option is potentially giving a few top draft prospects some say in where they wind up. They have a little extra leverage in the process. For example, suppose Boston didn't like the prospect of playing for Indiana (certainly not an inconceivable thought). She could tell Indiana if you draft me I am going to play another year at South Carolina. If you trade the pick to a team I don't like, I won't play for them that first year either.

Now I presume the team that drafts her would retain her rights beyond the first year, but my point is that extra year gives a few players leverage that they didn't have previously. In addition players have the European option where they can make as much or more than they can in the WNBA anyway, so they could avoid the league all together if they really wanted to.

This offseason has seen a player (JJ) say they wanted out, and then be traded for what appears to be far less than fair value. This is happening more and more, so the idea that a team has solid rights to a player for the length of the contract is not what it used to be either.

Anyway players at the top of the WNBA draft are in a different position than they have ever been before. We also previously had only a few players each year that had to decide whether to declare for the draft. Those were players old enough that they could declare after their junior year, but there were only a few in that position. Now everyone who played during the year without a championship has that option and can compare or project where they might wind up this year vs. next year for example.