WNBA awards: Atlanta Dream guard Brittney Sykes wins Rookie of the Month

Atlanta Dream guard Brittney Sykes was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for games played from Aug. 1 to Sept. 3, the league announced on Tuesday.

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It was the second consecutive month that Sykes took home the award.

Over the course of the month, Sykes led all rookies in scoring (17.3 points per game) and minutes per game (31.6), and placed second in rebounding (4.5) and assists (2.7).

And Sykes saved her best for last, dropping a career-high 33 points in the Dream’s season finale against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. She reached double figures in scoring in 10 of her final 11 games and in each of the last eight.

Sykes’ award is a bright spot in an otherwise tough day for the organization. Not only did the Dream (12-22) not qualify for the WNBA Playoffs, but they announced on Tuesday that they would part ways with head coach Michael Cooper.

Team president Theresa Wenzel talked about the decision to fire Cooper, but remained optimistic about the future of the team, with Sykes part of a young core.

She told The Summitt:

"“We have a strong young core. Brittney Sykes is a contender for Rookie of the Year. Layshia Clarendon is playing point guard as well as anybody in the league. Elizabeth Williams continues to provide strong defense and offense down low, and Tiffany Hayes had an excellent year scoring. So there’s a lot to work with here.”"

Sykes finished her rookie season averaging 13.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.