Duke’s Odom has expanded her game
DURHAM, N.C. — Leaonna Odom has long been a talented player for the Duke Blue Devils. She’s versatile and can play four different positions, and last season she averaged 13.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per-game. She also entered this season as a preseason candidate for the McClain Award.
But in Duke’s season-opener on Tuesday vs. High Point, Odom did something unexpected: she connected on a three-pointer.
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Over her last three seasons, Odom was 0-for-4 from three-point range. On Tuesday, she was 2-for-2.
“I’ve been practicing them with my teammates, especially with our really good shooters,” Odom said. “I’ve been going in with Miela (Goodchild), Haley (Gorecki), Kyra (Lambert) and just practicing them. They’ve given me a lot of confidence to shoot the ball and just telling me, ‘It’s going to go in. Just take your shot.’ So, that’s what I do.”
Duke shot 7-of-15 from three-point range on Tuesday for a 46.7 percent clip. They beat High Point handily, 93-57.
But it’s worth pointing out that junior center Jade Williams also sank a pair of three-pointers on five attempts. Last year, she was 0-for-1 from behind the arc. This could be a trend for Joanne P. McCallie’s Blue Devils as they look to get back in the tournament.
“We’re a faster team. There’s no question we can play with speed,” McCallie said. “It will be a faster game, a fun game and more people doing what they can do… Everybody is supposed to contribute their gift.”