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Jaylyn Sherrod epitomizes the mantra heart over height. The 5’7 speedster from Colorado has had to create a path to the WNBA that is different from many of her counterparts.
Getting the Foot in the Door
On April 15, 2024, the WNBA held its annual draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It was the first WNBA draft in years where a live audience would be in attendance. The league pulled out all the stops for a star-studded affair. Players such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson would hear their names selected in the first round. It gave a sense of validation that their years of hard work came to fruition.
For Jaylyn Sherrod, it was a moment of hurt.
In her final season at Colorado, Sherrod displayed the tools that could make her a WNBA-caliber point guard. She ranked in the top 1% of players in the country in assists per game and top 2% in steals. Using her lightning-quick speed, Sherrod broke down defenses and created scoring opportunities for the Buffaloes. So, not being selected in the 2024 draft seemed baffling to Sherrod. But, out of that disappointment came a tremendous opportunity: a training camp invite from the New York Liberty.
That opportunity gave Sherrod the chance to be around an incredible collection of talented WNBA players, such as Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. There was also the opportunity to learn from a robust coaching staff: 2014 WNBA Champion head coach Sandy Brondello, astute tactician Olaf Lange, well-respected WNBA veteran Roneeka Hodges, and film savant Zach O’Brien. Sherrod would have the chance to learn while competing for a coveted WNBA roster spot.
The first opportunity for Sherrod to get a chance to showcase her talents in a game setting came on Tuesday, May 7, a preseason contest against the Chicago Sky. Many expected this to be a riveting matchup between the 2023 WNBA Finalists looking to remind the league who they were against a scrappy upstart Sky. It was also the head coaching debut of Liberty legend Teresa Weatherspoon for Chicago. However, the Sky had a huge opening salvo and would see themselves leading by as much as 30 points in the third quarter. Brondello opted to put Sherrod in the game, giving her a chance to play in a WNBA game for the first time.
Sherrod immediately went to work, forcing two turnovers by Dana Evans. Her defense led to four NY points in less than a minute of game time, including a reverse layup from Sherrod. Although Chicago would complete their rout of the Liberty, Sherrod was able to contribute on both ends of the floor. Coach Brondello commended her defensive work.
“She did a great job,” Brondello said after the game. “Coming straight off the bench, gets two steals, gets some momentum for us even though we were down by a lot; But, she had speed, she could guard Dana Evans, no one else could. She could stay in front and put pressure on her. So, she played to her strengths, very proud of her to come in. Although she didn’t come in until late in the game, she came in and made an impact. As a young player you have to hang your hat on what you do well and she did a good job.”
To earn the early commendation of a championship-winning head coach and former WNBA All-Star is no small feat. Sherrod had the opportunity to build off that in the second preseason game against the Connecticut Sun on May 9.
Things were clicking from the Liberty from the starters to the bench, and the team led by 15 with eight minutes left to go in regulation. At that point, the Sun put more vets in the rotation, whereas New York opted to go with the younger training camp recruits. The disparity in experience appeared to show as the Sun erased the deficit and went up one with 1:14 left in the game. But, when it seemed dire, Sherrod eased the tension.
She intercepted a pass intended for Rachel Banham and got a layup in transition, giving New York an 80-79 lead with 36 seconds to go. On a later play, the ball found its way into the hands of Sherrod, who drew a foul. Sherrod found herself in a position that kids sometimes practice: taking clutch free throws to help the team secure a win. She knocked down both free throws, increasing New York’s lead to 82-79 with nine seconds left in the game.
Connecticut had one last possession for the game, but Sherrod played outstanding defense. She contested a three-point attempt by Banham, which fell well short, meaning NY would likely win this game and did. Sherrod finished with eight points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Brondello commended Sherrod's effort yet again. “She did a great job and she needed a sub there,” Brondello said, “She played so hard. But I just decided to get her in at the end, because she's a game changer like that. I think it's just her athleticism. Banham had a tough three on her, but credit to her [Sherrod]. She's just resilient; she uses her speed and got a really big turnover for us to help us win the game. So happy for her.”
While waiting for the final roster to come out, some felt that Sherrod’s impact on both sides of the ball warranted a roster spot. But, when the opening day roster was announced, she would not be a part of it. New York opted for a more sizable roster with bigger, versatile players. Although some thought of it as perhaps the end of Sherrod’s journey, there was a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel.
In training camp, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb alluded to the fact that with the team’s current makeup, there was enough cap space to add an additional player later on in the season. Given it was an Olympic year, some felt that spot would be reserved for a returning Marine Johannès or Han Xu. However, that was not set in stone.
Opening the Door
On July 6, the New York Liberty were scheduled to face off against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But, one story immediately gained traction ahead of the start. The team announced that they had signed Sherrod to a seven-day contract. It was another chance for Sherrod to make an impact and follow up on her impressive training camp.
As the season continued, Sherrod continued to earn a position with the team via additional seven-day contracts. Within them, she would see sparse minutes depending on the matchup. However, she was able to get some big breaks in the two-game home series against the Dallas Wings. With New York in complete control of both, Sherrod was able to get time in. Her first official WNBA points came on August 20, on a driving layup using a Nyara Sabally screen. In the next game, Sherrod registered a new career high in points with four and dished for two assists.
On August 24, eagled-eyed fans and reporters noticed the WNBA’s transaction page had listed Jaylyn Sherrod as released from her third seven-day contract. Typically, this is procedural. However, as specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the league rule is that a player cannot sign more than three seven-day contracts with one team in the same season. In order to be retained after that, the player must sign a rest-of-season contract, which is essentially a prorated deal. A dust of confusion immediately swirled as some wanted to decipher the next steps. Would the Liberty bring Sherrod back? Also, given the Olympics had finished by this point, were they scouring for a possible post-Olympic addition?
However, the team announced later in the day that they signed Jaylyn Sherrod to a rest-of-season contract, making her a member of the team until the Liberty’s postseason campaign ends. An additional caveat of this is that the Liberty can now extend the reserved qualifying offer to Sherrod upon the season’s end to maintain exclusive negotiating rights in the offseason.
On Sherrod’s return, Brondello said, “It’s always great when a player like Jaylyn, who is undrafted, comes into training camp, has a good training camp, comes back when we can bring our twelfth player, and just stays in the moment, and just keeps working on her game.”
Brondello continued, “That’s what I always encourage all rookies to do. You can’t control how many minutes you play, but you can control your attitude, how hard you work, and how ready you are. She’s taken that with two hands and had some opportunities in the last few games, and it’s been helpful for us. She’s going to keep getting better and better with the experience, so I'm very happy for her. It’s thoroughly deserved that she stays with us for the rest of the season.”
Since signing with the team, Sherrod has tried to make the most of the opportunities that were granted. Ironically, another break came for her on September 12 against the Wings again. Sherrod was able to register a career-high five points while swishing her first career three-pointer.
On her career high, Sherrod credited it to “always staying ready,” which has been a mantra for this team.
“Since I got here, we've had differences in lineups,” Sherrod said. “Some people have been out, some people have been in. It's always fluctuating. It's always changing. So I think this is the first time in a long time that we've had everybody healthy. So I’m always seeing the preparation, seeing how the vets go day-to-day.”
Holding the Door for the Next
The WNBA is the premier league for women’s basketball, but it is also hard to secure a roster spot. Sherrod is a shining example of what sacrifice and hard work can lead to: from undrafted to playing for the league’s top team. Given that, one would ask what advice Sherrod has for others wanting to play at this top level.
“The first thing is to always bet on yourself,” Sherrod said. “I think it's very easy to get caught up in the noise and in what doesn't happen, that you forget what actually is happening. So, I would just say, always bet on yourself. I put the work in to be here. I belong here. When you know the amount of work that you put in, nobody can take that away. I said that at the end of my last press conference that I had in Colorado. Nobody can take away what I've done. So, I just keep that in mind in the process. I used to call it ‘delayed, not denied’ all the time, because it’s crazy timing. It's God's timing, but you just have to be patient and your moment will come.”
With the rest-of-season contract, Sherrod can continue to gain quality insight from an organization with some of the best to provide.
“It's great,” Sherrod said about gaining insight from the team’s veterans. “They hold me to a high standard, even though I'm a rookie, they still expect me to perform at my best, and they have been really welcoming. I’ve asked them almost 101 questions. I'm always asking questions, always wanting to see and understand, and I think partially that's just me being a point guard, but they're always answering questions. They are always helping me out. So it's been great.”
Staying In the Moment
Playing for the Liberty means that Sherrod is in the media and entertainment capital of the world, New York City. Since taking over as owners in 2019, Joe and Clara Wu Tsai have turned the Liberty into the hottest ticket in town, where many fans and celebrities flock to the Barclays Center.
Being in that mix could be a blur for any rookie, but for Sherrod, it’s been fun.
“It's been a hell of an experience,” Sherrod said of the atmosphere. “If you asked me a year ago if I thought I'd be in this position, the answer would be not at all. So, I think it’s about just taking it day by day and really being in the moment. I think coming out here, living out here, and being around all these fans, has taught me to live in the moment and be present where my feet are. That's a heck of a lesson to learn, and it's been a process, but I'm so grateful for it. It's opened a lot of doors and a lot of opportunities.”
Given the fame that has graced Barclays Center in a Liberty game, one would wonder who Sherrod would like to see at a Liberty game. She uttered one name with conviction, “Janet Jackson.” Will we see the icon behind “Rhythm Nation” in Brooklyn one day? We just have to wait and see.
When Sherrod looks back from training camp to now, the one thing she wants to take most from this season is the path itself.
“Just the entire journey,” Sherrod said. “I remember not getting drafted, remembering how hurt I was on draft night, then getting the call to come to training camp, then doing what I did at training camp and getting cut, but staying ready. Honestly, it was a blessing in disguise to have those couple weeks, which all really helped me, because coming straight from college basketball to the pros is a tough transition. You get no rest, so it gave me time to reset. I wasn't in school this summer, so it was just like a fresh start when I got back here. So this experience, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Great article. As an Iowa fan, I’ve gone through two tough as hell contests to eliminate Sherrod. A lot of respect for her tremendous work on the court. Good luck sticking in the league. Love how Brondello doesn’t hand out DNPCDs the way Sides does.