Sydney Colson, fresh from the glory of the Las Vegas Aces' 2023 WNBA championship win over the New York Liberty, is undoubtedly one of today’s top personas in the women's basketball world. And frankly speaking, she stands unchallenged.

Every good story needs a captivating character, and the WNBA is no different. History has seen its fair share of compelling figures, such as the dominant Chicago Bulls in the '90s, and LeBron James and Kevin Durant under the spotlight forming superteams in the 2010s. And now, in the 2020s, Sydney Colson has taken up this mantle in the WNBA.

Colson, a 34-year-old guard, has been turning heads not with her trash talk, but with her undeniable charisma and unapologetic demeanor, especially post-WNBA Finals. Her recent appearance on “The Daily Show” with Desus Nice was a testament to that.

“It’s incredible. I think about when I came in the league in 2011 and what it looked like then versus what these arenas will look like today,” she said. “But especially as a young Black player, to see women that look like me killing it on and working it, I just knew I had to keep working.”

However, it was Colson's words for the doubters after the Aces’ championship win that truly marked the beginning of what the host referred to as her “villain era”—a role she never anticipated but is now fully embracing, Just Women's Sports reported. 

“When I tell you I’m not even a trash talker, I’m not. This particular moment blew up and it’s making me look like such a douchebag,” Sydney Colson said, referring to her viral mimicry of Sabrina Ionescu’s “night night” celebration after the Aces’ win. “I’m trolling people at this point online because I don’t care. They’re like, ‘You only had 2 points. She’s got 2 points, how is she on ‘The Daily Show’?” she said.

As for the budding rivalry between the Aces and the Liberty, Colson sees it as a rivalry born out of respect and camaraderie, akin to a family dynamic.

“It’s like when you got siblings or cousins you grew up with. You rag on each other, you joke, but at the end of the day, you love them,” she said.

The “villain era” of Sydney Colson is here, and it’s compelling, unapologetic, and captivating.