WNBA news: Atlanta Dream’s Brittney Sykes named Rookie of the Month for July

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 19: Atlanta Dream guard Brittney Sykes (7) moves up court during a WNBA game between the Washington Mystics and the Atlanta Dream on July 19 2017, at Verizon Center, in Washington DC. The Mystics defeated the Dream 100-96 in OT.(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 19: Atlanta Dream guard Brittney Sykes (7) moves up court during a WNBA game between the Washington Mystics and the Atlanta Dream on July 19 2017, at Verizon Center, in Washington DC. The Mystics defeated the Dream 100-96 in OT.(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Dream guard Brittney Sykes has been named WNBA Rookie of the Month for games played in July.

Over 11 games last month, Sykes posted 17.8 points per game, which was best among all rookies and third-best overall in the Eastern Conference. She also led rookies in per-game rebounding (5.8), total threes made (15) and minutes per game (30.6). In that span, she shot 38.5 percent from three to lead all Eastern Conference rookies.

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Sykes’ best game came in a July 19 loss at Washington, in which she scored 27 points on 7-13 shooting from the field and 12-13 shooting from the line. She also had four rebounds and five assists in that game. That was one of three consecutive 20-point games for Sykes in July, capped by a 20-and-13 game against Phoenix six days later.

Sykes, the seventh-overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft, struggled out of the gate in her first season out of Syracuse. But after scoring just 16 total points over her first six games, she broke out against the Liberty on June 7 with a 14-point, seven-rebound performance. She has scored in double figures in all but two games since.

The guard will hope to start August strong as well when the Dream visit the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday. Tip is set for 8 p.m. ET.