Colson was born in Houston, Texas, to Simmie and Stephanie Colson.[4] She grew up watching the WNBA's Houston Comets, who began play in 1997, when Colson was in elementary school.[5]
She attended Westside High School, where she was a National Honor Society member. During h[6] er sophomore year in 2005, she was named 5A All-District First Team and All-Greater Houston Second Team selection. As a junior, Colson earned All-Greater Houston honors, averaging 16.2 points and 4.2 assists per game. A heavily recruited prospect, Colson was rated the 29th overall prospect and the no. 8 point guard in the Class of 2007.[7]
Colson was a four-year letter winner for the Aggies between 2008 and 2011, and is tied for being the winningest player in program history.[9] She majored in sociology.[10]
Colson spent her freshman season as a reserve on the first Texas A&M team to reach the Elite Eight in program history, backing up point guard A'Quonesia Franklin.[11] She played in all 37 games that season, with two starts against Indiana and Stephen F. Austin, and was one of just three Aggies to see action in every game that year.[12]
As a sophomore, Colson tore her ACL during a pickup basketball game in June 2008 after working as a counselor at a Texas A&M basketball camp. Colson successfully rehabilitated the injury, returning to play eight minutes in the Aggies' season opener on November 14, 2008, against Mercer, 128 days after undergoing surgery to repair the torn ligament.[11]
During the 2010โ11 season, the pairing of Colson and junior co-captain Sydney Carter, known as "the two Sydneys", played an essential role in the Aggies' 2011 NCAA tournament run.[14] On March 30, 2011, In the regional finals against first-seeded Baylor and future WNBA star Brittney Griner, Colson had 12 points, 5 steals, and 4 assists,[15] as A&M ended an eight-game losing streak to Baylor 58โ46 at American Airlines Arena to advance to the program's first Final Four berth.[16] In the national semifinals, with 3.3 seconds left in the game, Colson dished the game-winning assist to Tyra White to defeat first-seeded Stanford 63โ62 to advance to the finals against Notre Dame.[17] During the championship final at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Colson recorded 10 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in A&M's 76โ70 win over Notre Dame, helping Texas A&M capture its first national championship.[18]
During her rookie season in New York, Colson played sparingly in sixteen games, but shot 42.9 percent from three-point range.[21] On May 16, 2012, Colson was waived by the Liberty during the WNBA preseason.[22]
Lider Pruszkow (2011โ2013)
After being cut by the Liberty, Colson spent the 2011โ12 and 2012โ13 seasons playing overseas in Poland for Lider Pruszkow in the Polska Liga Koszykรณwki Kobiet. During the 2011โ12 season, she scored in double figures on 12 occasions, including a season-high 21 points against BI SSA Gdynia on January 22. The next year, Colson scored in double figures in 11 of the 21 games she played in the 2012โ13 season, helping Lider Pruskow advance to the Polish Cup Semifinals.[23]
San Antonio Stars (2015โ2017)
After several seasons out of the WNBA, Colson signed a training camp contract with the San Antonio Stars on May 15, 2015, shortly after joining Rice University as an assistant coach.[24] Over the next three seasons, Colson played 96 games with the Stars, averaging 3.9 points and 2.5 assists as a reserve.[25]
Minnesota Lynx (2018)
Colson signed with the Minnesota Lynx on August 14, 2018,[26] with three games left in the regular season.[27] In her Lynx debut on August 14, 2018, Colson tallied three points, two rebounds, two assists and a block in five-plus minutes of play against the Chicago Sky.[28]
Hapoel Rishon LeZion (2017โ2018)
During the 2017โ18 season, Colson played overseas in Israel for Hapoel Rishon LeZion in the Ligat Ha'al.[29] She played 21 games, scoring 20 or more points on eight occasions, including a season-high 25 points against Bnot Hertzeliya on December 7, 2017.[30] At the end of the season, Colson was named All-Israeli League Honorable Mention by Eurobasket.com.[31]
ลlฤza Wrocลaw (2018โ2019)
Colson returned to Poland for the 2018โ19 season, playing 35 games for ลlฤza Wrocลaw.[32] She helped the team advance to the Polish Basket Liga Kobiet semifinals.[30]
Las Vegas Aces (2019)
On May 13, 2019, Colson signed a nonguaranteed contract with the Las Vegas Aces, marking her return to the former Stars franchise after the team's rebranding and move to Las Vegas.[33] After playing with the Aces in their only preseason game against the Lynx on May 19, Colson was informed by then-head coach Bill Laimbeer that she would be cut. Laimbeer changed his mind "an hour later" and retained Colson on the roster with the Aces' final roster spot, instead waiving Jaime Nared and buying out the contract of Kelsey Bone.[34]
Colson played in 33 games during the 2019 season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 assists while shooting 45% from the free throw line.[35] On July 13, 2019, Colson scored a WNBA career-high 17 points against the Washington Mystics.[36]
During a single-elimination game in the second round of the 2019 WNBA playoffs against the Chicago Sky, Colson's defense played a key role in what became known as the "Hamby Heave". With 12.5 seconds left on the clock, Colson rushed Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot in an effort to foul her, leading Vandersloot to attempt a jump pass to Diamond DeShields, which was subsequently stolen by Aces teammate Dearica Hamby.[37]
With 5.3 seconds remaining, Hamby scored a game-winning three-pointer from half-court, sending the Aces onto the semifinals.[25]
During the 2021-22 WNBA offseason, Colson played in Las Vegas with Athletes Unlimited during the development league's inaugural season, serving on player executive committee.[41] In October 2022, it was announced that Colson would rejoin Athletes Unlimited for the 2023 season.[42]
Las Vegas Aces (2022โpresent)
On March 2, 2022, Colson signed with the Las Vegas Aces as a free agent. Colson's return to the Aces marked her third stint with the franchise, in part on the strength of her performance during the 2021 Athletes Unlimited season.[43] She played in 18 games during the 2022 WNBA season, during which the Aces won both the second-ever WNBA Commissioner's Cup and the 2022 WNBA Finals, felling the Connecticut Sun 3โ1 in four games.[44]
Colson re-signed with Las Vegas for the 2023 WNBA season on February 7, 2023.[45] In 28 appearances, Colson averaged 4.8 minutes a game coming off the Aces' bench, almost entirely in garbage time.[46] In Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty, after injuries sidelined starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, Colson's defense played a key role in the Aces' 70โ69 victory.[47] During post-game interviews, Colson took the mic from ESPN reporter Holly Rowe to say "Night, night!", using Stephen Curry's sleeping celebration in a moment that went viral.[48]
Coaching career
After playing overseas in Poland, Colson returned to her alma mater Texas A&M in January 2014 as a graduate assistant, reuniting with her college coach Gary Blair.[49] During her first
season as a graduate assistant, the Aggies made a run to the Elite Eight before falling 69โ54 to no. 1 seed and eventual champions UConn.[50] She served as video coordinator for the 2014-15 season.[51]
On May 4, 2015, Colson was hired as an assistant coach for the Rice University Owls, joining head coach Tina Langley.[52] Colson joined Langley's coaching staff with the stipulation that she would have permission to pursue opportunities to play professionally.[53] Eleven days after joining the Rice staff, Colson signed with the San Antonio Stars.[24]
While playing for the Stars, Colson spent the 2015โ16 and 2016-17 offseasons as an assistant coach at Rice, with the Owls improving by 13 wins between her first to her second season.[54] In 2017, Rice won the Women's Basketball Invitational for the first time ever, defeating UNC Greensboro 74โ62.[55]
Colson has two siblings, Simmie IV and Simone.[59] She is openly lesbian.[60]
Colson began taking acting classes in January 2021.[61] Colson is close friends with former Aces teammate Theresa Plaisance, with whom she starred in The Syd & TP Show, an unscripted buddy comedy series co-produced by Ryan Reynolds's Maximum Effort and Fubo.
In September 2024, Colson debuted her signature sneaker in partnership with Creative Control, becoming the brand's first-ever signature shoe athlete and one of only three players in the WNBA to have a signature sneaker.[62] In October 2024, Colson appeared in a TikTok ad campaign for TOGETHXR and Aflac alongside Aces' teammate, Kate Martin.[63][64]
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