Odyssey Sims is confident. Watch her play, invade the lane, attack the rim and you can see it.
Monday the WNBA announced the All Star Game reserves, and the Lynx — 10-7 and fourth in the league — will send Sims and center Sylvia Fowles to the game in Las Vegas July 27.
For Sims, 27, it is a first. So, Monday, she was asked if the honor was overdue. Her answer showed both confidence and restraint.
"I wouldn't say it was overdue," she said. "But I would say this time was coming."
Sims leads the team in scoring (15.7) and assists (5.4) and is second with 21 steals and is third in rebounding (3.8). Among WNBA guards she is fourth in scoring, 11th in rebounds and fifth in assists.
On a team in transition, facing even more defensive pressure in the post, Fowles is averaging 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds and shooting 58.9%. She recorded her WNBA-record 158th double-double in Sunday's victory over Phoenix.
"It is a surreal moment for me," said Sims, who got the word from the league on Saturday, her birthday. "To come to Minnesota? I was excited to come here. I love playing with all my teammates. It's family here. I'm glad [Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve] made some calls and got me here. That means a lot."
Sims has been able to keep focused on the court despite an off-court incident. On June 26 news broke she had been arrested on a drunken driving charge, a case that has yet to be resolved. Her first court appearance is slated for Tuesday.