Maryland Professional Athletes

Maryland sent two alumnae into the same WNBA spotlight this week, and they delivered. Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Diamond Miller combined to power the Connecticut Sun past the Los Angeles Sparks 85-77 on August 18th at TD Garden — a rare moment where two former Terps shared top billing on the same box score.

Nelson-Ododa was the headliner. The Maryland big posted 18 points and 11 rebounds for a commanding double-double, doing much of her damage early — she had 13 of those points before halftime. It was the kind of performance that anchors a win, and on a Sun squad sitting at 9-25, performances like this stand out all the more.

Miller was right alongside her. The forward contributed 13 points and finished with a +11 plus-minus, the best mark on the floor for Connecticut. That figure tells a quieter story than the scoring line: when Miller was on the court, the Sun controlled the game. For a player developing into a consistent pro contributor, that kind of two-way impact is worth noting.

The game itself carried a touch of nostalgia — it marked the third straight year the Sun hosted a contest in Boston before the franchise heads to Houston next season. Two Maryland alumnae helping close out that chapter made it a moment worth flagging for Terps fans.

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Elsewhere Around the League

The Sun's Tuesday win was the high point of the week for Maryland's WNBA contingent. Miller's momentum didn't carry into Friday: she scored just 2 points and finished at -11 in a lopsided 78-101 loss to the Las Vegas Aces — a sharp swing from her midweek high.

Kaila Charles quietly put together a solid stretch for the Golden State Valkyries. She posted a +6 plus-minus in an August 18th win over the Wings, then logged minutes in back-to-back games Thursday and Friday, adding a steal in each contest. The Valkyries went 1-1 in those two outings, falling to the Lynx before topping the Sky. Charles's usage was modest across the week, but her consistency offers the Valkyries a reliable rotational presence.

Chloe Bibby appeared in three games for the Minnesota Lynx, including a road win over the Aces on August 16th and a home victory over the Mystics on Friday — though her statistical lines were minimal. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough suited up for the Atlanta Dream across multiple games, chipping in 5 points and 4 assists in a blowout win over the Sparks on August 21st.

Brionna Jones was listed on the injury report ahead of the Dream's August 23rd matchup with the Phoenix Mercury, with her availability uncertain heading into the weekend.

The week belonged to Nelson-Ododa and Miller — a Maryland reunion on the WNBA hardwood that, even on a struggling Sun team, gave Terps fans something to celebrate.

Diamond in the Rough

Diamond Miller gave Maryland fans something to cheer about Sunday — even if the result didn't go Connecticut's way. The Sun forward exploded for a season-high 22 points against the Dallas Wings, adding four rebounds and two steals in what was otherwise a rough afternoon for Connecticut. Dallas closed the third quarter on a jaw-dropping 20-2 run and rolled to an 83-63 victory, leaving Miller's standout effort as the bright spot in the loss. Her minus-14 plus/minus tells the story of a team that came apart around her, not because of her.

Miller kept producing later in the week, contributing nine points, four rebounds, a block, and an assist in a 75-72 Sun win over the Mercury on Friday — a positive-plus/minus outing that showed she can anchor a winning effort just as well as carry a losing one.

Bibby on the Move

Chloe Bibby's week was defined less by what happened on the court and more by where she'll be playing. After just four games with the Chicago Sky, the Maryland forward was picked up by the Minnesota Lynx — the top team in the WNBA — in a move that one outlet called "sneaky-good." The Lynx adding a developmental player of Bibby's profile signals both their organizational depth and their eye for talent. Bibby appeared on Minnesota's roster for games against the Fever (a 108-100 Lynx win on Sunday), the Sparks on Friday, and the Aces on Saturday, though her stat lines were not available for those appearances.

The Rest of the Terp Pack

Kaila Charles had a quietly solid week for the Golden State Valkyries. The guard contributed five points, two assists, and a rebound in Monday's 96-79 win over the Tempo, then chipped in two points, three assists, three rebounds, and two steals in Wednesday's 91-82 victory over the same opponent. She saved her best for Saturday, posting nine points, four rebounds, and three steals with a plus-5 in a 94-76 Valkyries win over the Wings.

Brionna Jones was a consistent presence for the Atlanta Dream, who had a mixed week. The Maryland center put up nine points and seven boards in Monday's loss to the Aces, then turned in her best game Wednesday — nine points, six assists, four rebounds, a steal, and a block in a 96-82 Dream win over the Mercury. She cooled off Friday in a 74-79 Dream loss to the Mystics, finishing with four points, three assists, and seven rebounds.

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough saw limited but steady action for the Dream across all three games, logging six points, two assists, a rebound, and a steal in Monday's Aces loss before quieter outings Wednesday and Friday.

A strong week overall for the Maryland contingent — headlined by Miller's scoring burst and Bibby's high-profile roster jump — with Charles and the Dream's frontcourt duo providing steady depth across the league.