# Olivia Nelson-Ododa

Olivia Nelson-Ododa (born August 17, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Shanxi Flame of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). She played college basketball at UConn.

## Early life

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. She averaged 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game as a junior before suffering a season-ending knee injury. As a senior, she averaged 19 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks per game, and was named Miss Georgia Basketball. She was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game.
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.

## 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. On December 22, 2019, she recorded a career-high 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks in a 97–53 win against Oklahoma. 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. 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.

## Professional career
### WNBA
#### Los Angeles Sparks (2022)

On April 11, 2022, Nelson-Ododa was drafted in the second round, 19th overall, by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2022 WNBA draft.

#### Connecticut Sun (2023–present)

On January 13, 2023, Nelson-Ododa was traded to the Connecticut Sun.

### Overseas

Nelson-Ododa played with the Melbourne Boomers in the 2022–23 WNBL season.
Nelson-Ododa played with the Guangdong Vermilion Birds of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association in the 2023–2024 season.
Nelson-Ododa signed with the Shanxi Flame of the WCBA for the 2024–2025 season.

## Career statistics
### WNBA
#### Regular season

Stats current through end of 2024 season
WNBA regular season statistics :
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2022 | Los Angeles | 30 | 6 | 14.5 | .566 | — | .703 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 2023 | Connecticut | 39 | 0 | 15.0 | .537 | — | .708 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 4.5 |
| 2024 | Connecticut | 37 | 0 | 11.8 | .495 | — | .659 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 3.4 |
| Career | 3 years, 2 teams | 106 | 6 | 13.7 | .530 | — | .692 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 4.0 |

#### Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics :
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2023 | Connecticut | 7 | 1 | 15.4 | .667 | — | 1.000 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | Connecticut | 7 | 0 | 9.7 | .667 | — | 1.000 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.9 |
| Career | 2 years, 1 team | 14 | 1 | 12.6 | .667 | — | 1.000 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 4.3 |

### College

NCAA statistics :
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2018–19 | UConn | 38 | 4 | 14.0 | 52.3 | 0.0 | 53.2 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 4.4 |
| 2019–20 | UConn | 32 | 31 | 26.3 | 55.2 | 0.0 | 54.5 | 8.5 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 10.9 |
| 2020–21 | UConn | 30 | 30 | 25.9 | 55.9 | 26.7 | 59.8 | 7.8 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 12.0 |
| 2021–22 | UConn | 33 | 31 | 27.2 | 59.5 | 27.3 | 67.4 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 9.2 |
| Career | Career | 133 | 96 | 22.9 | 56.0 | 21.2 | 58.9 | 6.7 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 8.9 |

## 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.
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. Nelson-Ododa was the youngest player representing the United States at the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup in Puerto Rico, where she won another gold medal.
Nelson-Ododa competed for the United States in 3x3 basketball at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru, and won a gold medal.

## Personal life

Nelson-Ododa's father, played basketball for Huntington University and the Kenyan national team. Her older brother, Alonzo, played professionally and was engaged to WNBA player Dearica Hamby. Her younger brother, Isaiah, plays college basketball for Tennessee Tech.