Olivia

Nelson-Ododa

Nelson-Ododa will miss her sixth straight game and the final game of the season for her team while dealing with a back injury. In her place the Sun have turned to more minutes from second year forward Aaliyah Edwards and 6'0 French wing Mamignan Touré. In the Sun’s previous game also against the Dream, stretch four Haley Peters also played in extended minutes.

While Nelson-Ododa has been upgraded from out to doubtful, it’s likely she’ll miss her fourth straight game. Without Nelson-Ododa and potentially Aneesah Morrow (chest) available, the Sun may turn to Aaliyah Edwards. Edwards could pick up the start, her first of the season and as a member of the Sun. Stretch big Haley Peters could also see more meaningful minutes at the power forward position especially if Morrow isn’t available.

Nelson-Ododa will miss her third straight game when the Sun take on the Sky. Aalyah Edwards could see more time off the bench in Nelson Ododa’s absence while Tina Charles and Aneesah Morrow continue to start in the frontcourt for Connecticut.

Nelson-Ododa will miss a second straight game with a back injury, leaving the Sun shorthanded in the frontcourt. While her absence does not impact Connecticut’s starting lineup, it does mean Aaliyah Edwards will play more minutes off the bench. She played 21 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Lynx.

Nelson-Ododa’s absence leaves Connecticut down a player within its frontcourt rotation. However, her absence should result in more playing time for Aaliyah Edwards, who logged seven minutes off the bench in an August 27 win over the Wings. Having acquired her from the Mystics at the trade deadline, getting an extended look at Edwards should be a priority for the Sun between now and the end of the season.

Nelson-Ododa’s solid play resulted in more playing time for the fourth-year center, with rookie Aneesah Morrow (two points, four rebounds and one steal) being limited to 11 minutes despite starting. Nelson-Ododa’s playing time hinges on Morrow’s effectiveness; when the rookie plays well, ONO may find it difficult to hit 15 minutes. But when she struggles, as she did against the Mystics, that opens the door for Nelson-Ododa to approach starters’ minutes. That doesn’t do fantasy managers much good, especially if they’re seeking waiver wire value this late in the season.

With Tina Charles back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to Golden State, Nelson-Ododa returned to the bench on Wednesday. However, that did not negatively impact ONO’s production, as she did not miss a shot from the field and contributed five “stocks” in 19 minutes off the bench. The playing time at the center position was nearly an even split, with Charles (15 points, four rebounds, two blocks and one three-pointer) playing 21 minutes. The variable for the rest of the season will be how the Sun view the recently acquired Aaliyah Edwards, who only played 12 minutes off the bench as Aneesah Morrow’s backup. If Connecticut aims to get Edwards more minutes with an eye toward the future, it may come at the expense of Nelson-Ododa and Charles.

Charles returns to the starting lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Valkyries, Connecticut’s second game in as many nights. Her return pushes Olivia Nelson-Ododa, removing ONO’s fantasy value in most leagues. Connecticut’s other four starters remain unchanged.

Nelson-Ododa tied a team-high in points on Monday in a game in which the Sun logged their third-fewest points of the season and shot poorly overall. The fourth-year center was one of just two Connecticut players to shoot over 40.0 percent from the field, as she didn’t miss on either of her five shot attempts. Nelson-Ododa’s name appeared in several other statistical categories that matter for fantasy basketball, and when combined, left her with a solid final stat line. If Tina Charles (rest) returns against Chicago on Wednesday, Nelson-Ododa could move back to the bench.

On the second game of a back-to-back, the Sun are resting the veteran center, Tina Charles, and inserting Nelson-Ododa into the starting lineup in Charles’ place. The fourth-year center will be making her 21st start of the season for the Sun. She is averaging 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds across 29 games this year and will serve as another well-rounded frontcourt player in Connecticut’s opening unit in the team’s attempt to end a four-game losing streak. With Charles out, expect Aaliyah Edwards to see an increase in playing time against Golden State in her second game with the Sun after being acquired at the trade deadline.