The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Indiana Fever’s Syd Colson Talks Getting To Know Caitlin Clark, ACL Injuries, Brand Identity & More!
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Raz Gold-Onwude (filling in for Dan and Stugotz)
Guest: Sidney Colson (Indiana Fever guard, two-time WNBA and Commissioner's Cup champion, NCAA champion, comedian)
Episode Overview
In this episode, Raz Gold-Onwude interviews Sidney Colson, a veteran WNBA player for the Indiana Fever, to discuss her rollercoaster basketball journey, the vibrant culture and camaraderie in Indiana's locker room, overcoming serious injuries, mentoring Caitlin Clark, building a unique personal brand, and ambitions beyond basketball. The conversation balances humor, candid reflection, and inspiration, offering both an inside look at the Fever’s transformative season and Colson’s distinctive personality.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Indiana Fever’s 2025 Season: Team Culture & Special Moments
[01:58 – 05:01]
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Colson reflects on joining the Fever after years with the Las Vegas Aces:
"You know when you could just feel like something's ... you need to get uncomfortable, like you're being pushed in a direction ... I run to the uncomfortable, honestly, because I know on the other side, there's going to be some lesson that I needed, and that was what happened this season." — Sidney Colson [03:20]
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The unique bond developed quickly and deeply, despite adversity and injuries:
"For us to have been together for just a matter of months and not fully healthy, everybody at the same time. So it was fun. ... The Commissioners Cup Championship gave us, like, even more confidence that we could go on and win a championship, and I think we would have had we stayed healthy." — Sidney Colson [04:45]
2. Leadership, Locker Room Dynamics, and Overcoming Adversity
[05:01 – 07:28]
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Colson credits team humor for resilience:
"When hard times were in, we were just like making jokes, laughing, because honestly, some stuff was just, what can you do?" — Sidney Colson [05:32]
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Discusses her ACL tear and the group using humor as therapy:
"Everybody was joking. Phoenix cursed our team. Just the place, the city of Phoenix. We lost four bodies, I think, to Phoenix." — Sidney Colson [06:42]
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On going live after ACL surgery:
"I really wanted me and TB to do an episode of our pod coming out of reverse. They were like, yeah, the drugs will have worn off by the time you get home, so you probably can't do that. I was like, all right, well, I'll just, I'll go live." — Sidney Colson [07:37]
3. Mentoring & Chemistry with Caitlin Clark
[07:51 – 10:22]
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On getting to know Caitlin Clark and guiding her through challenges:
"It was cool being on a team with her, getting to see her in another light was really cool ... it's a lot for a young person to be dealing with on top of pressure to do well as a basketball player ... I would be talking to her a lot about, you know, make sure you're still being vocal. ... Don't let it be a wasted season just because you can't physically contribute." — Sidney Colson [08:13]
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Colson values enabling Clark's lighter, fun side to come out:
"To see her being jovial and light-hearted and having fun with her teammates, I don't think was like a side that people saw a lot last season. And so I would just be telling her more of that." — Sidney Colson [09:50]
4. Adaptability & Coaching — Stephanie White’s Impact
[10:22 – 11:07]
- Discusses coach Stephanie White’s role in getting new players on board:
"Steph and our assistants were able to get new players on the same page with us quickly and have them buy in quickly to we're going to play defense hard, we're going to share the ball and we're going to play as a team." — Sidney Colson [10:43]
5. Shoutout to Kelsey Mitchell’s Season
[11:07 – 13:16]
- On Kelsey Mitchell's tenacity and underappreciated impact:
"This girl deals with double teams. She was already impressive last year, but found a way to do even more this year. ... I'm constantly impressed by her. The player she is and the person she is. She's just a solid individual." — Sidney Colson [11:21]
6. Journey: Overcoming Doubts & Reinvention
[15:01 – 18:49]
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Colson outlines the setbacks: ACL in college, being waived, stints overseas, cut from teams, out of the league, and perseverance:
"It kept being pretty much my whole career was just need the right opportunity, right opportunity. ... Even when I was out of the league. There were definitely times where it was tough ... but I still had that passion even when it wasn't logical anymore." — Sidney Colson [16:13]
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Credits faith and trusting life’s timing:
"I know every place that I was in I was supposed to be there. I think my faith helped me understand that I was in every situation that I was in for a reason." — Sidney Colson [17:05]
7. Becoming a Face of the League: Personal Brand & Self-Deprecating Humor
[18:49 – 21:13]
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Discusses how authenticity and humor led to endorsements and visibility:
"I'm just, I'm me everywhere I go. I think authenticity is going to always get you where you need to be, even if it's not what you picture." — Sidney Colson [19:49]
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Emphasizes creating opportunity through her "Sit & TP" show and social media:
"I hope that it's inspiring to people to just bet on yourself and like, make yourself a brand. Like be authentic, stay true to it and like the people that are supposed to find you will find you." — Sidney Colson [20:54]
8. Handling Online Criticism & Haters
[21:40 – 22:14]
- On negative comments and trolls:
"I used to just troll them back because, like, there's nothing that you can say about me that'll hurt my feelings. ... For me to get my feelings hurt about people, I gotta respect you. ... So, like you being a stranger, I could care less about you talking about how many points I scored minutes. I don't care." — Sidney Colson [21:48]
9. Stand-up Comedy Ambitions
[22:14 – 23:42]
- Colson talks about reentering stand-up and challenging herself:
"It was just good practice. It had been over two years since I'd done stand up. So when this opportunity presented itself, my girlfriend was like, you got to do it so that you hold yourself accountable to get back to practicing." — Sidney Colson [22:43]
10. Coaching & Mentorship Off the Court
[24:36 – 25:25]
- Her fondest coaching memories are about relationships, not basketball itself:
"I enjoy the relationship aspect of everything I do more than the, like, actual thing typically." — Sidney Colson [24:44]
11. Style, Identity, and Life Beyond Basketball
[25:25 – 26:55]
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Colson credits her girlfriend and stylist Ahmadi Brooks for elevating her public image:
"She had a vision. ... If you're at the end of your career and you want to go into acting, people need to start seeing you in a different light visually." — Sidney Colson [25:44]
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Defines her style:
"I would say, like, versatile. ... Elevated street, street wear and, like, we make stuff colorful sometimes ... I like a lot of colors ... it reflects my personality a lot." — Sidney Colson [26:55]
Notable Quotes & Moments
- "I don't know. I'm just. I'm constantly impressed by her. The player she is and the person she is. She's just a solid individual.” – On Kelsey Mitchell [12:40]
- “Humor was therapy for you guys.” – Raz Gold summarizing team culture [06:21]
- “You are one of the faces of the league ... you are captivating, you are funny. The way people are consuming the WNBA is changing and evolving.” – Raz Gold [18:49]
- “I just, I'm me everywhere I go. ... A lot of mine just happens to be forward facing.” – Sidney Colson [19:49]
- “For me to get my feelings hurt about people, I gotta respect you. ... So, like you being a stranger, I could care less.” – Sidney Colson on internet hate [21:48]
- “My girlfriend was like, you got to do it so that you hold yourself accountable to get back to practicing.” – On returning to stand-up [22:52]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 01:58 — Starting with the story of Indiana Fever’s memorable season
- 03:20 — Colson on choosing faith and going toward discomfort
- 05:01 — Humor and adversities in the locker room
- 06:34 — Colson describes her ACL injury experience
- 07:37 — Her idea to do a podcast episode post-surgery
- 08:13 — Relationship and mentorship with Caitlin Clark
- 10:43 — Stephanie White’s coaching philosophy
- 11:21 — Praise for Kelsey Mitchell
- 15:01 — Colson’s winding journey through college, WNBA, waivers, and overseas
- 16:13 — Role of faith through career ups and downs
- 18:49 — Emergence as a face and personality of the league
- 19:49 — On authenticity and building a brand
- 21:48 — Handling trolls and internet hate
- 22:43 — Stand-up comedy ambitions and process
- 24:44 — Experiences as a college assistant coach
- 25:44 — Her girlfriend Ahmadi Brooks’ role in her image and style
- 26:55 — Describing her unique fashion sense
Overall Tone
The conversation is candid, energetic, and honest—balancing humor and vulnerability. Colson’s warmth, quick wit, and storytelling shine, making the episode engaging for basketball and non-basketball fans alike. The episode is packed with lessons on authenticity, resiliency, and self-belief, and it celebrates both Colson’s contributions to the WNBA and her irresistible personality on and off the court.