Syracuse University guard Brittney Sykes to return for fifth season

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Brittney Sykes, redshirt junior guard on the Syracuse University (SU) women’s basketball team, will return for her fifth season of eligibility in the 2016-17 season.

With the return of Sykes, SU will enter next season with one of the top scorers in the history of the program, the school said in a news release issued Thursday morning.

She has scored 1,214 points in 105 games played in her collegiate career. Sykes currently ranks 15th on the Orange’s all-time scoring list.

Following two season-ending injuries in 10 months, Sykes missed all but three games during the 2014-15 campaign and was granted a medical redshirt.

After her two injuries, Sykes returned to the court in the 2015-16 season, helping to guide the team to its first appearance in the Final Four and national championship game.

Sykes averaged 10.3 points per game, which ranked third on the squad for the season. She also pulled down 5.1 rebounds per contest, which also ranked third on the team.

The Orange women’s basketball team will return three of its top four scorers in Sykes, junior guard Alexis Peterson, and junior center Briana Day, as it seeks to repeat the success of its groundbreaking 2015-16 season.

Sykes, a Newark, New Jersey native, has already earned her bachelor’s degree in communication and rhetorical studies and will continue to pursue her master’s degree in instructional design, development, and evaluation, SU said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com