Behind the soul-stirring wit and undeniable charm, there’s a person. A person who has never set out to be anything other than true to self. That’s what makes Sydney Colson’s story and career so unique.
It was done her way.
“I am who I am, wherever I am. I make sure that I’m myself. I’m not changing who I am for any crowd,” she explained to For The Win while promoting her return to Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball for another season. “I act in a way that will make my family proud, and I try to represent my family, faith, and the people I care about, and do a good job. When you show up as yourself everywhere you go, people respect that.”
Showing up as herself is how she’s made the most of life and went viral after the Aces secured back-to-back WNBA championships. But that uncanny humor is just the surface of the behind-the-scenes sacrifices that propelled Colson into history books. It was a bonafide moment in time that was interwoven with honest words from head coach Becky Hammon.
“It doesn’t matter that you won. That doesn’t carry over,” Colson says Hammon told the team. “So, you have to do everything right again. The target will be a little bigger on your back.”
Hammon made an impassioned speech before the WNBA Finals, explaining that the Aces had to be “poised in the noise.” Colson mentions everyone bought into that, and it produced one of the most impressive feats the sports world has seen in years.
Colson was a vital part of that championship roster, and she’ll likely keep those memories close to her as she transitions to the next phase of her life. Colson shared with For The Win that after over 12 years of hooping, she’s near the end of her career.
Playing with AU Basketball and for the Las Vegas Aces makes sense for now, but she has other ambitions once basketball is done. Those goals were cultivated from seeds planted long ago by her mother, Stephanie.
“I want to act when I’m done. My mom used to tell me I should be in drama or be in theater, and I never took the step to do it. I always said, ‘All my eggs [are] in the basketball basket.’ Looking back, I wish I had done it differently, but I think it went how it was supposed to.”
After taking acting classes for several years and with the success of The Syd + TP Show with Theresa Plaisance, Colson’s post-basketball dreams are entirely within reach.
She’s fantastic on and off the court, in every sense of the word, and personifies the notion of always betting on yourself. In a world that constantly tries to define who people are, Syd is always going to be Syd.