What happened to Sydney Colson? Fever veteran's sudden exit after bleeding explored

During the first quarter of the Washington Mystics-Indiana Fever game on Tuesday, Sydney Colson took a hard hit that caused some serious bleeding. The tough defender that she is, Colson sustained the injury as she sought to stay in front of the Mystics' best scorer.

During a Mystics possession, Brittney Sykes drove hard to the paint with Colson giving chase. As Sykes headed to the rim, her head collided with Colson's face.

The bleeding caused the Fever guard to take a seat on the bench. Eventually, Colson had to return to the locker room.

Later in the first quarter, Fever beat writer Scott Agness reported that Colson was once again ready to play.

Scott Agness

@ScottAgness

Sydney Colson just returned to the bench — new white jersey and all. Appears to be a cut below her right eye.

Fever up 12-10 early.

Colson indeed checked back into the game, and at halftime, she had two points, one rebound, one assist, and one block.

The 11-year WNBA veteran might not have headline-worthy numbers — in five games this season, she has averaged less than two points in 12.6 minutes of action — but she brings tremendous value that goes beyond the stat sheet. Colson, after all, is a two-time WNBA champion who has made a name for herself with her hard-nosed defense.

With Caitlin Clark sidelined due to a quad injury, Colson has taken the Fever star's place in the starting lineup. Though the Fever have lost two games with Clark out of commission, the team nevertheless counts on Colson to bring playmaking and basketball IQ to the table. In addition, her wealth of experience in the league remains a valuable source of wisdom for the younger players on Indiana's roster.

Sydney Colson opens up on advice to teammates amidst long grind of WNBA season: "Just remember why you started doing this"

Another intangible that Colson brings to the Fever is leadership. During a media availability prior to the season, Colson shared the advice that she imparts to her teammates.

"Just remember why you started doing this, why you show up every day," she said. "On days when you're not feeling your best, pick somebody else up. It helps you to get out of yourself."

With many regular season games to go on the Fever's 2025 schedule, Colson will have many more nuggets to share with the rest of the Indiana lineup.