Brittney Sykes is not only an incredibly determined player on the court, but off it as well. Her story of coming back from two torn ACL’s in order to play in the WNBA is truly remarkable. Sykes is a native of Newark, New Jersey as she attended the decorated University High School, where she made a name for herself by earning McDonald’s All-American honors.
Sykes’ athleticism and versatility on the court caught the attention of top college programs, and she eventually committed to Syracuse University. Sykes would play for the Syracuse Orange from 2012 to 2017 and she would endure some setbacks along the way. As I mentioned earlier, Sykes had to overcome two ACL injuries in order to have a successful college career. After each injury, she showed her resilience by not giving up and coming back stronger after each incident. She became one of Syracuse’s all-time leading scorers by finishing her career with 1,846 points which ranked third in school history at the time of her departure. In her senior season, she averaged 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, earning All-ACC First Team honors and leading Syracuse to the NCAA Tournament. She also helped guide the Orange to the 2016 NCAA Championship game which was quite a surprisingly historic run for the program.
Brittney Sykes would be drafted as the 7th overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream. In her rookie season she averaged 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, earning a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. After three solid seasons with the Dream, Sykes was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2020, where she has since developed into one of the league’s premier defensive guards. In 2021, she led the WNBA in steals per game with 1.8 and earned All-Defensive First Team honors. Sykes now plays for the Washington Mystics and has continued to be a consistent player in the WNBA. For the 2024 season she averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She’s been in the league for always contributing on the floor in some capacity that’s not just only on defense, but also with her ability to finish at the rim and even create plays for teammates.
Everyone loves to talk about how tenacious Sykes’s defense is, but I’d like to give credit towards her athleticism and ability to make plays in transition. Offensively, Sykes is one of the best at slashing to the basket, where her quick first step and body control allow her to finish through contact. While her outside shooting is less of a primary weapon, Sykes’ dynamic playmaking and defensive intensity make her a well-rounded player and a critical asset to any team she plays for in the Unrivaled league. Standing at 5’9”, she uses her speed and unwavering athleticism to disrupt opponents on defense. She’s often guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player, which has rapidly grown her ability to guard the perimeter at a high level. In this 3v3 league, teams are going to need someone like her to potentially mitigate and slow down the competition’s best scoring guards.
