Seattle Storm On SI

Brittney Sykes Reached Impressive Milestone in Storm vs Liberty Game

The veteran guard achieved this milestone through her defensive skills, which made her one of the WNBA's top defensive players.

Edward Blair II

Sep 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Brittney Sykes (20) goes up for a shot against New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) and center Emma Meesseman (33) during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Brittney Sykes (20) goes up for a shot against New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud (9) and center Emma Meesseman (33) during the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

A Milestone Worth Celebrating

Seattle Storm's Brittney Sykes built her professional basketball career on her fast movements, ability to read the game, and constant defensive pressure.

Against the New York Liberty, she officially recorded the 350th steal of her career in the first quarter. The short length of the play marked the end of her eight-year professional basketball career. Sykes stands out as a defensive leader in the WNBA because she delivers consistent defense while playing at a high level throughout the season.

Box Score Impact

Sykes played a complete game in 23 minutes of playtime.

11 points on 4-of-9 shooting

0-of-1 from three-point range

A perfect 3-of-3 at the free-throw line

2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

2 turnovers and 2 personal fouls

Finished with a -3 plus/minus rating

Sykes delivered a performance that demonstrated her complete skillset through her 14 points and 6 rebounds and 3 steals and 2 assists and 2 blocks while maintaining a 70% free throw percentage. The Seattle Storm lost to the Liberty but Sykes demonstrated her complete skillset through her 14 points and 6 rebounds and 3 steals and 2 assists and 2 blocks and 70% free throw shooting.


The Art of the Steal

Sykes needs to achieve 350 steals to reach her goal, but speed with her hands is not the only factor. A point guard needs to read the court and predict passes before the ball release to make fast decisions that control game momentum. Her defensive arsenal includes:

Sykes uses deceptive positioning to draw opponents into her trap before she performs her lane jump.

The ability of Sykes to defend multiple opponents on the ball makes him stand out because he can handle both fast point guards and powerful wing players.

Her playmaking ability reaches its peak when she steals the ball because it leads to quick fast breaks that generate important scoring chances, which control the game momentum.

Brittney Sykes
Sep 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Brittney Sykes (20) recovers a loose ball against Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) during the third quarter at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Where She Stands Among Peers

Sykes has established herself as one of the WNBA's top defensive guards over the last ten years after reaching 350 steals in his career.

The assessment extends past equipment inspection because it needs film review and defensive skills and flexibility when working with various team structures. Over the years, coaches have trusted her to take the toughest backcourt matchup, whether that’s guarding dynamic scorers like Sabrina Ionescu or bigger playmakers on switches.

Brittney Sykes
Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Sky guard Sevgi Uzun (0) shoots the ball against Seattle Storm guard Brittney Sykes (20) at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Bigger Picture for Seattle

The Storm reaches its goals, which show how the team must maintain its competitive level while expanding its operations. Sykes serves as an essential outside threat to support Nneka Ogwumike, who leads the team throughout the season.

The defensive pressure on the front court decreases because of her turnovers, which also gives Seattle's guards more ball possession that proves crucial in tight playoff games against tough opponents.

What’s Next

Sykes maintains her position to rise in the steals rankings because he has only two weeks remaining in the regular season. The defensive aspect of her game stays steady, but her scoring numbers depend on which team she plays against. Seattle has proven to the league that defense can transfer between teams, and her ability to change games with one read makes her an essential asset for playoff teams.

350 steals down. Many more to come.

Published |Modified
Edward Blair II
EDWARD BLAIR II

Edward Blair II is a sportscaster, journalist, and multimedia professional covering the Seattle Storm for Sports Illustrated’s On SI platform. He also writes for Illinois On SI and Last Word on College Football, providing coverage of the Fighting Illini and Michigan Wolverines. Blair is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS). He brings a unique voice shaped by years of coaching, podcasting, and content creation across multiple platforms. In addition to his writing, Blair is the host of The Ed Blair Podcast and an intern video editor with Roundtable Sports Network, where he edits NFL content. He also serves as a freelance production assistant with Fox Sports, having worked major events including the IndyCar 500 content week.

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