Mystics’ Brittney ‘Slim’ Sykes has always felt the magnetic pull of music.
Maybe it’s because her dad played the bass guitar and drums when she was growing up. Maybe it’s because she saw firsthand how certain songs could attract people to the dance floor, no matter where they were or what they were doing.
“There were these songs that if you put them on today,” she said, “everybody from that era would just get up and start dancing. Like, there were songs you just couldn’t sit down for.”
Basketball may have shaped her career, but it’s also expanded her musical horizons. Traveling, especially playing overseas, has introduced her to sounds she never would’ve found at home.
“You play overseas, and you find so many different genres of music,” she said, “and you see the effect that U.S. music has on European countries.”
Her experience with music abroad has shown her that, even across time zones and cultural differences, we all have more in common than we think.
“I’ve been able to listen to different types of music, and it’s really dope because even if you don’t understand the words they might say, you start picking up key phrases,” she explained. “And when you take the time to actually break down what they’re saying, you realize, wow, we’re all kind of saying the same things.”
In fact, during her time playing in Turkey, Slim fell in love with Turkish rap group XYZ.
“They mentioned me on Twitter because of how much I talked about their music,” she laughed.
She’s also embraced the unique sounds of the District with go-go, even though the first time she heard an assistant coach playing go-go in college, she wasn’t completely sold.
“Fast forward some years later, I get to D.C. and I hear it and I really listen to it” she said. “Now, when I hear any of the songs, I get it. Like, I'm submerged in it. It's an experience. The go-go culture is really dope.”
Her love for music isn’t just about listening, though, it’s also about creating, understanding, and sharing. A multi-instrumentalist, Slim plays the trumpet, piano, bass guitar, and drums. She’s also the go-to music plug for her friends, often introducing them to new sounds or breaking down samples they never would’ve noticed on their own. One day, she hopes to take that passion to the next level by becoming a DJ.
“I always said I wanted to be a DJ after basketball, because I wanted to have a career that allows me to still travel the world and see the world,” she said.
Recently, she had the chance to preview and provide feedback on a friend’s album before its release.
“That was pretty cool,” she said. “Just sitting down and listening to those songs, being able to give feedback on how they made me feel and where they took me.”
Whatever the reason, music has always been more than just background noise for Slim—it’s a part of who she is. It’s a portal to the past, a soundtrack to the present, and a glimpse into the future. While many athletes turn to music to pass the time, for Slim, music is a passion. Even a gift.
“I have a really keen ear,” she said. “I don’t know what it is or how to explain it, but I can just hear a song or a sample and know where that melody stems from. Whether I know it on the dot or find it within the next 48 hours, I can catch melodies really well.”
Growing up in New Jersey in a music-loving household, Slim was surrounded by soul, R&B, and jazz long before she discovered her own tastes. Her parents favored the smooth, classic sounds of local radio station WBLS over pop radio, and their love of music became the foundation of her own.
“You hear the jokes about how moms wake up early on the weekends and start cleaning with music blasting? That’s a real thing,” she laughed. “That’s the music I was raised on, so that’s naturally what I would want to listen to.”
During her time in Miami, she’s been stuck on Larry June’s latest album, Doing It For Me—a perfect blend of the smooth, jazz-infused style rap she prefers.
“He dropped it in August, but I’m just now getting into it because I was so hooked on his last one,” she said. “I’m an album person. I like to fixate on a collection of great songs. I don’t really like music that’s one or two hits and then the rest is, like, blah.”
She’s also recently put Rihanna’s Anti album, released in 2016, back in rotation.
“I have these spells where I'll be interested in new music,” she said, “and then I'll have these spells of listening to albums that I haven't really listened to in a long time and appreciating how really good they are.”
For Slim, music is more than entertainment, it’s an experience. It’s a language. And whether she’s rediscovering an old-school classic, diving into an international hit, or finding the perfect song to set the tone for game day, one thing is certain: the beat always finds her.
Her love for music spills into every part of her life—including game day. But unlike some athletes who rely on high-energy beats to hype them up, Slim takes a different approach.
“I like R&B, neo-soul, rap—but the rap I listen to has smooth, R&B-style beats,” she said.
There are specific moments though, where she finds the need to balance her love of music with an appreciation for silence.
“If I’m in the treatment room or the hot tub, I don’t like loud, obnoxious beats, sounds or yelling, whether it’s from a human or music. Everybody knows that about me,” Slim said. “They make a joke about it. Like, when I’m in the hot tub, don’t bother me. I just like quiet.”
That carries over to other parts of her routine, too. Some days, she’ll drive to the gym or home from practice in total silence, just letting her thoughts breathe.
“It’s going to sound crazy,” Slim laughed, “but I’ve driven five or six hours with straight silence.”
When she’s ready to tune back in, she’s intentional about what she listens to.
Mystics’ Brittney ‘Slim’ Sykes has always felt the magnetic pull of music.
Maybe it’s because her dad played the bass guitar and drums when she was growing up. Maybe it’s because she saw firsthand how certain songs could attract people to the dance floor, no matter where they were or what they were doing.
“There were these songs that if you put them on today,” she said, “everybody from that era would just get up and start dancing. Like, there were songs you just couldn’t sit down for.”
During her time in Miami, she’s been stuck on Larry June’s latest album, Doing It For Me—a perfect blend of the smooth, jazz-infused style rap she prefers.
“He dropped it in August, but I’m just now getting into it because I was so hooked on his last one,” she said. “I’m an album person. I like to fixate on a collection of great songs. I don’t really like music that’s one or two hits and then the rest is, like, blah.”
She’s also recently put Rihanna’s Anti album, released in 2016, back in rotation.
“I have these spells where I'll be interested in new music,” she said, “and then I'll have these spells of listening to albums that I haven't really listened to in a long time and appreciating how really good they are.”
For Slim, music is more than entertainment, it’s an experience. It’s a language. And whether she’s rediscovering an old-school classic, diving into an international hit, or finding the perfect song to set the tone for game day, one thing is certain: the beat always finds her.
Whatever the reason, music has always been more than just background noise for Slim—it’s a part of who she is. It’s a portal to the past, a soundtrack to the present, and a glimpse into the future. While many athletes turn to music to pass the time, for Slim, music is a passion. Even a gift.
“I have a really keen ear,” she said. “I don’t know what it is or how to explain it, but I can just hear a song or a sample and know where that melody stems from. Whether I know it on the dot or find it within the next 48 hours, I can catch melodies really well.”
Growing up in New Jersey in a music-loving household, Slim was surrounded by soul, R&B, and jazz long before she discovered her own tastes. Her parents favored the smooth, classic sounds of local radio station WBLS over pop radio, and their love of music became the foundation of her own.
“You hear the jokes about how moms wake up early on the weekends and start cleaning with music blasting? That’s a real thing,” she laughed. “That’s the music I was raised on, so that’s naturally what I would want to listen to.”
Her love for music isn’t just about listening, though, it’s also about creating, understanding, and sharing. A multi-instrumentalist, Slim plays the trumpet, piano, bass guitar, and drums. She’s also the go-to music plug for her friends, often introducing them to new sounds or breaking down samples they never would’ve noticed on their own. One day, she hopes to take that passion to the next level by becoming a DJ.
“I always said I wanted to be a DJ after basketball, because I wanted to have a career that allows me to still travel the world and see the world,” she said.
Recently, she had the chance to preview and provide feedback on a friend’s album before its release.
“That was pretty cool,” she said. “Just sitting down and listening to those songs, being able to give feedback on how they made me feel and where they took me.”
Basketball may have shaped her career, but it’s also expanded her musical horizons. Traveling, especially playing overseas, has introduced her to sounds she never would’ve found at home.
“You play overseas, and you find so many different genres of music,” she said, “and you see the effect that U.S. music has on European countries.”
Her experience with music abroad has shown her that, even across time zones and cultural differences, we all have more in common than we think.
“I’ve been able to listen to different types of music, and it’s really dope because even if you don’t understand the words they might say, you start picking up key phrases,” she explained. “And when you take the time to actually break down what they’re saying, you realize, wow, we’re all kind of saying the same things.”
In fact, during her time playing in Turkey, Slim fell in love with Turkish rap group XYZ.
“They mentioned me on Twitter because of how much I talked about their music,” she laughed.
She’s also embraced the unique sounds of the District with go-go, even though the first time she heard an assistant coach playing go-go in college, she wasn’t completely sold.
“Fast forward some years later, I get to D.C. and I hear it and I really listen to it” she said. “Now, when I hear any of the songs, I get it. Like, I'm submerged in it. It's an experience. The go-go culture is really dope.”
Her love for music spills into every part of her life—including game day. But unlike some athletes who rely on high-energy beats to hype them up, Slim takes a different approach.
“I like R&B, neo-soul, rap—but the rap I listen to has smooth, R&B-style beats,” she said.
There are specific moments though, where she finds the need to balance her love of music with an appreciation for silence.
“If I’m in the treatment room or the hot tub, I don’t like loud, obnoxious beats, sounds or yelling, whether it’s from a human or music. Everybody knows that about me,” Slim said. “They make a joke about it. Like, when I’m in the hot tub, don’t bother me. I just like quiet.”
That carries over to other parts of her routine, too. Some days, she’ll drive to the gym or home from practice in total silence, just letting her thoughts breathe.
“It’s going to sound crazy,” Slim laughed, “but I’ve driven five or six hours with straight silence.”
When she’s ready to tune back in, she’s intentional about what she listens to.
