Sport: Basketball
Born: February 7, 1994
Town: Newark, New Jersey
Brittney Sykes was born February 7, 1994 in Newark, NJ. The youngest of three children born to Regina and Michael Sykes, Brittney honed her competitive edge playing against her two brothers. By the time she enrolled at University High in Newark, she possessed a superb all-around game. An adept ball-handler, passer and shooter, Brittney was also a lockdown defender. At 5’9” she played guard, but was unafraid to mix it up with larger players in the paint.
At University, Brittney became the star of an already strong Phoneix team. During the summers, she played AAU ball for the Philly Belles. As a senior in 2011–12, Brittney was named first-team All-New Jersey and was a McDonald’s All-American. That season, she led University to the Essex County title, averaging 18.9 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Brittney also played for the US U-18 team. A stellar student and one of the most coveted recruits in the region, she opted to attend Syracuse University over Notre Dame, Penn State and Georgetown.
Coach Quentin Hillsman used Brittney as a swingman, playing guard and small forward. Her quickness, strength and anticipation helped her make the Big East All-Freshman team in 2013 and second-team All-ACC honors in 2014 as a sophomore, when the Orange switched to the new conference.
A pair of knee injuries sidelined Brittney for almost all of the 2014–15 season, but she returned to the floor as a redshirt junior to help Syracuse reach the NCAA Finals. The Orange entered the tournament as a #4 seed and upended top-ranked South Carolina on the way to the Final Four. They destroyed Washington in the semifinal 80–59 but fell to UConn 82–51 in the final.
Brittney’s senior year saw her take her game to a new level. She averaged 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Syracuse didn’t make it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but Brittney earned All-America recognition and was rated as one of the most complete players in the 2017 WNBA Draft. She left Syracuse as its “winningest” player, having suited up for 101 victories.
The Atlanta Dream used the seventh pick in the draft to take Brittney. She started at guard and forward for coach Michael Cooper and was named Rookie of the Month in both July and August. Brittney scored in double-figures most games and was often assigned to guard Atlanta’s most dangerous opponents. She averaged 13.9 points to set a franchise record for first-year players and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie squad. She finished runner-up to Alisha Gray of Dallas in the Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2018, the Dream enjoyed a spectacular turn-around season, improving from 12 wins to 23 to finish first in the East under new coach Nicki Collen. Brittney often came off the bench when Collen saw an opportunity to alter the flow of a game. Many were picking Atlanta to reach the Finals until Angela McCoughtry, their best player, was lost for the year with an August knee injury. The Dream lost to the Washington Mystics in the playoffs, 3 games to 2.
Despite a poor team record in 2019, Brittney had a solid season for Atlanta. She led the team in scoring seven times and assists eight times. In the third quarter of a July game against Phoenix, Brittney went wild with 22 points, tying a league record set by Diana Taurasi.
Like many WNBA players during the off-season, Brittney suited up for overseas clubs. Her rookie year she played for Petah Tikva, Israel, a city of roughly a quart-million outside Tel Aviv that is best known as the birthplace of actress Gal Gadot. Brittney also played in Turkey and Spain. Her success in the WNBA and in Europe caught the attention of the Los Angeles Sparks, who traded second-year star Kalani Brown for Brittney and Marie Gulich, a center.
Coach Derek Fisher employed Brittney as a defensive stopper during a 15–7 campaign abbreviated by the Covid-19 pandemic. She was part of the club’s regular rotation, averaging 24 minutes and 10.1 points a game. The Sparks lost to the Connecticut Sun in the playoffs, but Brittney and teammate Candace Parker were honored after the season for their stellar defense—Parker as Defensive Player of the Year and Brittney as second-team All-Defense.
Brittney played the same role in 2021 and led the Sparks in steals. LA stumbled through a disappointing 12–20 season and missed the playoffs. But again, Brittney had a standout campaign, making first-team All-Defense. LA’s forties didn’t improve in 2022, as the Sparks lost more than they won again. More of the scoring and playmaking fell to Brittney and she responded with a career-best 3.7 assists per game to go with 12.7 points—the most since her rookie year—and earned a spot on the All-Defense second team.
The 2023 season saw Brittney reach the peak of her powers. After signing a free-agent deal with the Washington Mystics, she started 40 games and led the team with 636 points for a career-best 15.9 points per game. Brittney attacked the basket and lived on the free throw line all season long. On defense, she was seconding the WNBA with 2.1 steals per game. The Mystics went 19–21 and made the playoffs, but fell to the Liberty 2 games to 0.