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How the Las Vegas Aces receive a spark from this comedic bench player – The Athletic
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LAS VEGAS — Sydney Colson is running a pick-and-roll at the top of the key. The defense switches and the Las Vegas Aces guard threads a pass to the rolling big, who finishes easily at the rim. Theresa Plaisance then looks down at her defender, does the “too small” celebration, and said, “I couldn’t hear you from down there.”
It’s always sunny in California so @SydJColson + @tplai55 thought LA could use a little shade 🌴
Tune in to Ep. 3 of The Syd+TP Show tonight 9PM EST on the @MaximumEffort channel on @fuboTV to watch them work on their reads on the court 🥴 #SydTP pic.twitter.com/VzIcXZDls3
— TOGETHXR (@togethxr) October 2, 2023
It’s a play involving two 2022 champions, but it isn’t taking place at Michelob ULTRA Arena, and the stakes do not rise to the level of the WNBA Finals. No, Colson and Plaisance are instead learning how to throw shade on the basketball court. This is Episode 3 of “The Syd and TP Show,” a loosely scripted comedy series starring the one-time Las Vegas teammates, and Colson and Plaisance are trying to become tougher in their quest to become the “faces of the league.”
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Admittedly, it’s a tall task for the duo. Colson averaged 4.8 minutes per game for the Aces this season and has totaled 14 playoff minutes thus far, almost all in garbage time. Plaisance wasn’t even on a WNBA roster this year after leaving Las Vegas in free agency. But as “The Syd and TP Show” showcases, the pair have far more to offer beyond box-score production.
“We expect nothing less from those two,” Las Vegas assistant coach Tyler Marsh said. “I’m glad that those two are getting to be seen on a grander stage, because their enthusiasm and how funny they are are something that we saw every day last year, and continue to see this year with Sydney.”
Marsh’s favorite scene so far is when Colson and Plaisance go through football drills with Washington Commanders coach Jennifer King. Chelsea Gray, who responded “heck yeah” when asked if she’d kept up with the show, likes the scene when the pair are expecting to go Disneyland and end up having to promote themselves at a lightly-attended fair.
Haha had a good time with @SydJColson , @tplai55 and @togethxr teaching them a few football skills as they become the faces of the WNBA 😎 Checkout the latest episode to see how it went on various streaming services #wnba #togethxr pic.twitter.com/YoHKtdUVC3
— Jennifer King (@JenniferKing5) October 4, 2023
They may have graduated to a national audience, but the seeds of the Colson-Plaisance partnership were planted inside the Aces room a year ago. Even with Plaisance no longer on the team, their influence is felt in Las Vegas culture to this day.
Becky Hammon knows that her team is best when the players are loose. It was difficult for her when she initially took the Aces head coaching position because they didn’t seem serious, but she quickly learned that their competitive spirit was in perfect alignment with their clownish behavior off the court. Her players will try to kill each other in practice and then try to double-jump each other on the trampoline that the team’s mascot Bucket$ uses during the arena’s in-game entertainment.
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Most of the Aces have that innate sense of goofiness, but Hammon credits Colson and Plaisance for setting the tone in 2022.
“It really kind of stemmed from them two last year, what they brought to the group,” Hammon said. “They’re characters, and they’re entertaining. They say what everybody’s thinking and doesn’t want to say out loud.”
The part of their personality that is most obviously visible is the humor — Colson grew up with an interest in comedy, watching MadTV and only foregoing to pursue improv and theater because she was too busy with basketball. Colson’s pranks are legendary within the locker room, as are her over-the-top reactions on the Las Vegas bench.
But when Hammon talks about Colson saying what no one else wants to, she’s also referring to Colson’s eye for the game. As a 34-year-old veteran, Colson knows what to look for on the court. She has Jackie Young’s ear on the bench, consistently giving her tips, particularly on the defensive end, which is where Colson excelled earlier in her career.
“She’s a great vet, a great locker room person,” Young said. “She’s gonna joke around, but, I mean, she’s great for us. I talk to her a lot during the games, in practice, just about defense and what she sees, or offense and what she sees, and she’s just supported me my whole career.”
Although it may seem facetious that the goal of “The Syd and TP Show” is to turn two end-of-bench players into the faces of the league, and there is absolutely comedy to be found in that premise. But it shows there’s a value to spotlighting players who aren’t always center stage. The WNBA isn’t composed entirely of superstars — everyone has their own part to play.
Colson has been up front about embracing her role, knowing that everyone in the league has to embrace their niche in order to hold on to a roster spot. For her, that means leadership, defense, running the second unit, and remaining as positive as ever no matter her minutes situation.
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The Aces fully appreciate what Colson, and Plaisance last year, mean to them.
“Obviously with Syd, her personality’s infectious and has been a huge part of who we are, last year and this year,” Marsh said. “Not just from kind of a lightheartedness but she brings a certain level of leadership too. So she embraces her role and who she is for us and we love having her around for sure.”
It behooves the league to publicize individuals like Colson and Plaisance and shed light on the different types of players who make up the 144. The duo went on their own to secure the show with TOGETHXR and Maximum Effort, which airs on FuboTV and various streaming services, but the WNBA has caught on and is using them in advertisements with the league’s corporate partners.
“I think it’s great fun, Syd Colson literally could be an actress for the rest of her life,” league commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “They’re both great, and I think this is all part of getting our players more exposure. … That’s all good and all part of our marketing plan to build household names and rivalries.”
Colson said the feedback has been “tremendous,” and she’s happy that people are learning how funny Plaisance is since the forward doesn’t put herself out there on social media like Colson. Six more episodes remain for the pair to climb the ladder of WNBA stardom.
In the meantime, they still have to make converts out of some folks within the Aces organization. After the team hosted a watch party for the series premiere, Young and Hammon haven’t watched any more, as they’ve been zeroed in on game film.
“Her show is funny, but also it’s finals, so kinda locked in on that,” Young said.
The culture matters, but so does the team’s preparation in search of a second-straight title.
(Photo of Sydney Colson: Steve Marcus / Getty Images)
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Sabreena Merchant is a women’s basketball Staff Writer for The Athletic. She previously covered the WNBA and NBA for SB Nation. Sabreena is an alum of Duke University, where she wrote for the independent student newspaper, The Chronicle. She is based in Los Angeles. Follow Sabreena on Twitter @sabreenajm