The first thing that stood out about Dykes was just how impressive her stick protection and ball-handling skills are for a defender. When teams pressure her on the ride, she can weave through traffic and protect her stick like it is a walk in the park. That makes her extremely valuable in the clear because she is a defender you can trust to gain possession and safely transition the ball upfield. Defensively, Dykes is physical, strong, and relentless. She excels 1v1, has great positioning, and is a ground ball machine who never gives up on a play. She keeps her head on a swivel, recognizes when to slide, and plays with an impressive understanding of what is happening around her. Dykes is not afraid to use her strength either and can absolutely body an opponent within legal parameters. Her combination of physicality, defensive IQ, hustle, and stick skills made her one of the best defensive standouts I saw this summer.

Dykes had a great takeaway check against Florida Select. On one possession, she was playing defense and laid a girl out. Dykes is reliable in the clear and will get the ball across.