The news that Indiana Fever signed 2-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson to a one-year contract in February was met with elation from Fever fans and sadness from Aces stalwarts. Colson, affectionately known as the face of the league, is a beloved part of the WNBA and brings experience and tremendous hustle with her from Las Vegas.
"Sydney is a proven veteran in our league and throughout her career, delivered for her teams in many big moments," general manager Amber Cox said at the same in a statement. "She brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position. We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor."
Colson was a second-round pick out of Texas in the 2011 WNBA Draft and played in New York, San Antonio, Minnesota, and Chicago before her three seasons with the Aces.
Sydney Colson's minutes at Las Vegas are under the microscope
Since she was signed to the Fever many fans have wondered how exactly Colson will fit in to the team's roster. Caitlin Clark is the team's starting point guard, and Coach Stephanie White has expressed that she hopes to find more ways to get Clark off the ball this season. Colson could come into the game as backup for Clark, but so could the pair's teammate Sophie Cunningham.
Colson averaged under 10 minutes per game at the Aces. This doesn't necessarily speak to her skills on the floor, and she definitely made the most of the time she was allotted (Colson averaged 8 minutes per game last season with 2.5 points, 1 assist, and .5 rebounds). This makes a case for her to be the player who comes off the bench when Clark needs a little break, but she isn't the only player who could fill that spot.
Sophie Cunningham might be the Fever's Sixth Woman
Since she was traded to the Fever in March, Sophie Cunningham has made it clear she's happy to be along for the ride and has no problem playing a supporting role to the Fever's likely starting 5 (Clark, Aliyah Boston, DeWanna Bonner, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard). Adding Cunningham gives the Fever a chance to try new plays and looks, and they'll certainly be able to keep their opponents on their toes.
Cunningham is also a likely candidate for that back up guard role. She averaged 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2 assists in 27.7 minutes per game for the Mercury last season, and could play on the wing for the Fever or help surround Clark with players who can shoot (and she's certainly one of those).
In March Cunningham emphasized that the Fever is the perfect team for her right now. "I'm stoked. I'm so so excited. I think it's refreshing," she said (per Clark Wade of the Indy Star). The team plays a different style of basketball than what she's used to, Cunningham continued, and "this is the style that I thrive in."
"When you have people who can shoot the ball, who move the ball, who are run and gunners and share the ball; this is the type of offense that I want to be in. I'm just stoked," Cunningham added.