Brittney Sykes has done a lot of waiting throughout her WNBA career. Before last year, the 5-foot-9 guard was longing for the chance to prove herself as a star in the league. Knowing she was capable of reaching her goals, obstacles outside of her control were always in the way. All it took was a season in Washington to change her fortune.
This season – her second in D.C. – another obstacle moves out of her way, setting up a moment she’s been eager to get to for her entire seven-year WNBA career.
She finally gets to wear her preferred jersey number, No. 20.
While the request may seem trivial, especially considering the mini legacy she left while wearing No. 15 with the Los Angeles Sparks and one year with the Washington Mystics, No. 20 is her number. It’s what she wore all four years at Syracuse. It’s her number of choice while playing overseas.
It’s a number she seeks to wear because of her former teammate, Kristi Toliver.
“She just had this tenacity about her that I love,” Sykes told Monumental Sports Network reminiscing back to Sykes’s youth. “And then at her size to shoot the three the way she did, to get into the paint the way she did and she had like this swag about her. Before I knew what a dog was, that’s what she was showing me, like that’s what a dog looks like. I’m just like, damn, I want to play like that. I want to have that type of swagger. It was like I stepped on that court, they see me with 20 on that’s like ‘oh [expletive], she kind of play like her.’”
That tenacity has followed Sykes into her tenure with the Mystics. A year ago she had one of the best single seasons in franchise history. Her ability to impact the game with sheer will and energy provided a spark that was previously a missing component of the roster.
Head coach Eric Thibault sees some of the parallels between the two guards. Thibault became familiar with Toliver – who’s now 37 and an assistant coach with the Phoenix Mercury – when she was on the Washington roster from 2017-19 and 2023. However, it’s less of their physical attributes where he sees similarities and more of their mental discipline when it comes to the game.
“Probably some of the fearlessness,” Thibault said of their similarities. “I think everybody knows Kristi was, in her whole life, never afraid of a big shot or a big moment. I think [Sykes] has shown that. The ability to make tough shots. Obviously, very different players in terms of their style.”
There’s one shot and moment in particular that has always been attached to Toliver’s legacy, especially within the D.C. community.
That’s her famous shot in 2006 while a member of the Maryland Terrapins. In the national championship game, against ACC rival Duke, Toliver stepped back to hit a wing three in the final seconds of the game. It tied up the contest and sent it to overtime where the Terps would go on to win their lone NCAA title.
And the celebration is what stood out to Sykes.
“And then I just remember watching that game versus Duke, where she hit it on Abby Waner and she did the frickin field goal (celebration). Oh my god, like till this day – this is me fangirling right now right – like till this day that was probably one of the coldest [expletive] celebrations I’ve ever seen during a game,” Sykes said.
“Like that is burnt in my head.”
Through the last several years, the problem for Sykes was that she couldn’t pay homage to Toliver by wearing that number. More seasons than not, Toliver was also rostered on whichever team Sykes was on. From Los Angeles to D.C., the pair were linked up for the past four years and Sykes had to stay with No. 15.
When Sykes entered the WNBA in 2017, it was Sancho Lyttle preventing Sykes from repping No. 20 on the Atlanta Dream. Then it was Alex Bentley before Sykes was moved to the West Coast.
Late last year, once Sykes found out Toliver would not be returning to D.C. as a player, Sykes asked Toliver for permission to take over the reins of No. 20. Toliver was well aware of the number request, Sykes had already told the two-time WNBA champion why she wanted to be like ‘KT.’
“She never knew it was because of her,” Sykes said. “One day I texted her and I was like, ‘hey, if you need any extra motivation. Just know, I literally wear my number with pride because of you. I never wanted to tell you because I don’t want to [mess up our] friendship.’ But I was like, ‘Nah, I think it’s time I tell you like, hey, you are really the reason why I wear this number wholeheartedly. Anytime I see 20, my first thought is you.'”
Sykes will become the fifth Mystic to wear No. 20 when the season tips off on Tuesday, May 14 against the New York Liberty (Monumental Sports Network). She joins some other Mystics legends beyond Toliver, including Alana Beard (2004-09), Natalie Novosel (2012) and Kara Lawson (2014-15) to have those numerics on her threads.
The added prestige that comes with wearing that jersey number isn’t lost on her either. She fully embraces how she can add to what the number means to Toliver and the franchise.
“Once I got the opportunity, I was like, ‘yeah I’m wearing that number with pride’ and I knew that [Toliver] would be okay with me wearing it because you just don’t want anybody else wearing your number,” Sykes said. “[Toliver] won a championship in that number here. I know I have full confidence in myself that I’m gonna uphold that number… [with] what the [expletive] I did in #15, I can do in #20. I’m just happy that I finally got my number back.”