Lynx guard Odyssey Sims is set to make her 2020 season debut Thursday, and the timing seems perfect.
Minnesota faces Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, ESPN), with both teams tied for second place in the WNBA at 6-2.
Sims led the Lynx in scoring and assists last season, but she was late to arrive to the bubble at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, because she gave birth in April to her son, Jaiden. Then after going through quarantine, she had to serve a two-game suspension due to pleading guilty to a DWI charge in 2019.
Sims said at first she was uncertain about whether she would play in the WNBA this season, which will be her seventh in the league. The pandemic delaying the season's start by two months until late July worked in Sims' favor. She kept in regular contact with Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve.
"It was really just, 'How did I feel?'" Sims said Wednesday of her decision to play. "Every day that I worked out and continued to get my body back, I was like, 'I can do this.'
"Coming back from pregnancy is not the easiest, but I'm here and I'm ready to play. I think I'm in pretty good shape."
Sims, who turned 28 in July, was the No. 2 draft pick by Tulsa in 2014 out of Baylor. She's played for Tulsa/Dallas, Los Angeles and Minnesota. Last year, her first with the Lynx, she averaged 14.5 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
Sims said she's excited by what she has seen of the Lynx so far -- including the play of rookie point guard Crystal Dangerfield -- and feels like she can contribute.
"Just watching from Game 1 up until now, we look good," Sims said of the Lynx. "We're a younger team this year, we're running a lot more, getting out in transition. That's the style of play I like.
"Crystal has been doing a phenomenal job. I'm just going to bring my energy, score the ball, just do whatever Cheryl needs from me."
Sims said she debated bringing her son into the bubble but decided it was best for him to stay with her family in Texas. But she said having him has given her a new purpose in life.
"I'm a mom now. I have someone else to live for," Sims said. "He's brought a lot of joy, more than I've ever had.
"To me, this is a historic season. We're in the bubble; this is like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Years later, I'll have [this] to talk to my son about."