Entering overtime against one of the league’s “super teams,” Eric Thibault had to make an important personnel decision. With Shakira Austin back in the Barclays Center locker room after suffering a hip injury on June 25 against the New York Liberty, somebody else was going to have to take the tip to start the extra period.

And instead of going with a forward like Elena Delle Donne (6-foot-5) or Tianna Hawkins (6-foot-4), the choice was the 5-foot-9 guard Brittney Sykes.

She stepped right into the torch of the Liberty’s logo at center court to out-jump the 6-foot-4 Breanna Stewart. Ever since that point, Sykes has been taking the opening tips of games in Austin’s 11-game and counting absence.

Her win percentage at this point is .545. She’s won six tips and lost five. A win doesn’t necessarily mean Washington gathered possession, but rather whose hand impacted the direction of the ball the most. Wins have come against Stewart, Cheyenne Parker, Tierra McCowan, Aliyah Boston, DeWanna Bonner and Dorka Juhász. Losses have come against Parker, Boston, Ezi Magebor, Jonquel Jones and Brittney Griner.

Spotting the opposition over six inches – and in Griner’s case a whole foot difference in height – isn’t deterring the seven-year guard. Her competitive nature gives her expectations to win each tip thanks to her vertical hops. That mindset has Sykes’s memory vividly recalling the times when she lost the jump rather than the more frequent amount of times she won.

“Yeah, I don’t want to lose no dang gone tip,” Sykes told NBC Sports Washington. “I just remember the losses, which is bad. I’m supposed to remember the wins, but I remember the losses… Aliyah cheated, she grabbed my arm but she don’t want to admit it. It’s okay.”

Inserting Sykes as the player who activates the start of games was a relatively easy decision for Thibault. By simply being able to out-jump everyone on the Mystics roster, she was the natural option that Sunday afternoon in New York.

Beating a former WNBA MVP in the center circle then cemented Thibault’s decision to let her keep the job.

Taking – and winning – jump-balls isn’t the only feat of athleticism Sykes (aka ‘Slim’) is known for. Throughout her career, she’s made spectacular play after spectacular play with her incredible bounce. Her body frame also gives her an incredible edge with a massive plus-wingspan and quick reflexes that combine into arguably the most athletic player on the roster. She can touch the rim in the layup line and isn’t afraid to be a rim protector on the defensive side.

“I knew she was athletic but seeing it in person it’s another level,” Cyesha Goree said this week. “And also I’m surprised as many times as she’s able to hit the ground and bounce back up and keep going.”

That body type and skill set have led her to lead the WNBA in steals in back-to-back seasons and a 28-game steal streak that nearly encompassed a full year. Back in the bubble season, she famously blocked Griner with relative ease on a transition play. This year, one of her memorable blocks came against Atlanta Dream rookie Haley Jones.

Slim said GET THAT OUTTA HERE 🤯😤#BallOnOurTerms | @BrittBundlez pic.twitter.com/PkmuE7Knzf

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 29, 2023

“Slim’s got like springs in her legs, man always has though,” Ariel Atkins said back in June. “But Slim like takes care of her body. So like when she does really cool stuff like that, it’s cool to me because she’s just so springy. She’s a freak of nature when it comes to athleticism.”

Success in the jump circle isn’t just limited to this 2023 season. In fact, Sykes’s jump-ball ability was recognized during her collegiate career at Syracuse. During her sophomore season, she took every tip for the Orange in place of their center Shakeya Leary.

“I’ve won tips. That’s my thing. It’s that one little competitive edge, I’m 5’9- I like to hit everybody’s hand and then I just walk in front of the person I’m jumping against and them be like ‘you’re jumping?’ and I be like, ‘yeah'”

There’s a routine that Sykes employs before each jump. Like many other players, she goes around the circle to dap up, shake hands, high-five, hug, etc. each member of the opposing starting five. Then she saves the opposing jumper, more often than not the opposing center, for last and then gets ready to jump.

Sykes says the best part of it all is seeing everyone’s reaction to her walking into the jump circle. By far the best, in her opinion, was Parker’s reaction.

“Cheyenne was definitely the funniest,” Sykes said. “I’m going around ‘yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey.’ And she’s like ‘What the?’

Sykes is the only Mystics player to take an opening tip since Austin was inserted into the starting rotation in May 2022. Prior to Austin, Myisha Hines-Allen took some tips but it’s been Austin’s responsibility once she made the starting five.

But who knows, at the rate Sykes is winning jump-balls there may be some competition on who has the job permanently.

“We’ll see when Kira gets back whether they fight it out for the opening tip,” Thibault said.