DHJ Quick Take: The Veteran Catalyst
- The AU Dominance: Sims isn’t just “returning home”; she’s arriving as the most dominant player in the world right now. Her 2026 Athletes Unlimited championship—where she became the first player to cross 30,000 career points—proves that at 33, her scoring (26.2 PPG) and “tempo-changing” ability are at an all-time high.
- Unlocking Paige Bueckers: Curt Miller’s strategy is clear: bring in high-IQ veteran point guards like Sims and Lindsay Allen to allow Paige Bueckers to slide off the ball. This versatility gives Jose Fernandez the ability to move the “ultimate piece” around the floor while Sims handles the primary playmaking duties.
- Postseason Pedigree: Sims’ 2025 playoff run with the Indiana Fever (14.4 PPG, 4.4 APG) showcased her ability to outplay her regular-season averages when the stakes are highest. For a young Wings roster with championship aspirations, her locker room presence is just as valuable as her on-ball creation.
- The Full Circle Moment: Originally the No. 2 pick in 2014, Sims’ return to the Wings marks her fourth stint with the franchise. As the oldest guard in a room featuring Azzi Fudd and Arike Ogunbowale, she provides the “winning character” and Baylor championship pedigree that has defined Miller’s 2026 roster reconstruction.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Odyssey Sims is home. The Dallas Wings announced Tuesday the signing of the veteran guard, reuniting the Irving, Texas native with the franchise that originally selected her No. 2 overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft. Twelve years and six organizations later, Sims returns to where her professional career began — and arrives carrying the best momentum of her recent career.
General manager Curt Miller framed the signing in terms of what Sims does for a roster still taking shape heading into training camp.
“Odyssey is a veteran guard that can impact the game at both ends of the court,” Miller said. “She can be a tempo changer for us offensively and adds veteran experience to our young core. We look forward to O building upon her momentum after a successful run in Indiana and a championship season at Athletes Unlimited.”
What She Brings
Sims has spent 12 professional seasons accumulating the kind of résumé that earns a locker room’s respect before a single practice rep is taken. A 2019 WNBA All-Star and All-Second Team honoree, she has made stops with Dallas, the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun, and Indiana Fever — adapting her game to whatever each roster needed while maintaining a consistently high level of two-way production.
Her 2025 postseason run with the Fever stands as a late-career signature stretch. Sims led Indiana in assists (4.4) and steals (1.4) per game during the playoffs, finished second on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game, and helped guide the Fever to their first WNBA Semifinals appearance since 2015. She began that season with the Los Angeles Sparks, appearing in 12 contests, before closing it with Indiana and outplaying her regular season averages when the stakes were highest.
Sims didn’t slow down once the WNBA season ended. Competing in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball this past offseason, she captured the 2026 championship — becoming the first player in league history to surpass 30,000 career leaderboard points. She averaged 26.2 points per game and scored in double figures in all 12 contests, finishing with 6,764 leaderboard points.
Miller’s reference to her “championship season at Athletes Unlimited” wasn’t a throwaway line — it reflected genuine organizational awareness of what Sims has been doing while Dallas was rebuilding its roster.
Why the Dallas Wings Wanted Her Specifically
Miller explained the organizational philosophy behind assembling a deep veteran guard group in an exclusive interview with Dallas Hoops Journal ahead of Sunday’s training camp opener — and Sims fits the model precisely.
“It was an emphasis to bring in some veteran point guards to compete for a spot on our roster, because we like to move Paige off the ball at times,” Miller told Dallas Hoops Journal. “So when an Arike or an Azzi are off the floor, and you can bring in a quality point guard, it allows you to move our ultimate piece — Paige — around on the court. That was really important.”
As Sims becomes the 22nd player to be signed before camp, Miller named Sims specifically when discussing the competition for those spots. Keep in mind, as Dallas Hoops Journal reported, the Wings are expecting at least five late training camp arrivals due to international obligations and immigration procedures. Sims helps with raising the competitiveness of the team’s training camp, especially early in the process.
“JJ had a tremendous year. Grace did what we needed her to do when she came in during a tough time last year. Now we have Lindsay Allen and Odyssey Sims all fighting for a spot to really take hold of,” Miller told Dallas Hoops Journal. “I’m excited about that, and ultimately how it allows Paige to play different positions.”
Back Where It Started
Sims was a standout at Baylor from 2010-2014, helping lead the Bears to the 2012 national championship. She was drafted second overall by the then-Tulsa Shock — the franchise that would relocate to Dallas in 2016 and become the Wings — and spent her first three professional seasons in Tulsa and Dallas before a trade sent her to the Sparks in 2017.
She has returned to Dallas twice since, on short-term deals, most recently in 2024. This signing represents a more deliberate commitment from both sides — a veteran who knows the organization, a roster that knows exactly what it needs from her, and a home market she never really left.
At 33, Sims is the oldest guard on a Wings roster built around Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Arike Ogunbowale. Miller has been clear throughout this offseason that veteran presence and winning character are organizational priorities alongside talent. Sims — a two-time champion between Baylor in 2012 and Athletes Unlimited in 2026 — checks both boxes.
The Wings open the 2026 WNBA season on the road against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, May 9, at 12 p.m. CT.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- ‘Landed Where I Was Meant to Be’: Azzi Fudd Introduced By Dallas Wings, Embraces New Journey
- Exclusive: Curt Miller On The ‘New-Look’ Dallas Wings, Frontcourt Chemistry, And Azzi Fudd’s Elite Ceiling
- ‘We’ve Known For A Little While’: Greg Bibb On Why Azzi Fudd Was The Only Choice For Dallas
- ‘She Was The Right Fit’: Jose Fernandez And Curt Miller Detail Drafting Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings’ Free Agency Moves
- ‘Nothing I Could Have Imagined’: Azzi Fudd Reacts To Dallas Wings Selection And Paige Bueckers Reunion
- ‘Ecstatic To Add Her’: Curt Miller Breaks Down Azzi Fudd As No. 1 Pick For Dallas Wings
- Dallas Wings Select Azzi Fudd No. 1 Overall, Reuniting Her With Paige Bueckers
- ‘Our Top Target’: Dallas Wings Sign Reigning WNBA Co-Defensive Player Of The Year Alanna Smith To Three-Year Max Deal
