In a Sky season that has made everyone want to pull their hair out, two underdogs have helped redeem it: Sydney Taylor and Natasha Cloud.
Their friendship began, as many great ones do, because their lockers are next to each other’s. They got to talking about fashion first, noticing each other’s style and asking where certain pieces came from.
They share some New York-ness in their swagger. Taylor grew up on Long Island, and Cloud delighted in her stint with the Liberty last season.
Both have approached this season with a chip on their shoulder.
Cloud, 34, didn’t get picked up by the Sky until May. After the Liberty didn’t ask her back and initial offers didn’t come in, she doubted whether she would play in the WNBA at all. Taylor, 23, went undrafted and played overseas for two seasons, still believing she would make it to the league.
They’re proving the naysayers wrong. Taylor is the team’s leading scorer and a lock for the All-Rookie team. Cloud’s game shows few signs of aging, as her stat line is nearly identical to what it was last season.
Cloud said her favorite thing about Taylor’s game is the effortlessness. Her movements have the fluidity of 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, but she has a ‘‘Mamba’’ mentality all her own.
To show it, Cloud reenacted the three-pointer Taylor sank over A’ja Wilson in the Sky’s recent victory against the Aces.
‘‘As a rookie, for you to have that in your bag [and] to do that against the Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Star, all these things?’’ Cloud said. ‘‘Cold.’’
The pair are thriving in a season of adversity. The Sky lost leading scorer Rickea Jackson four games in, and it took some wandering in the desert before they figured out how to succeed without her. Because of the hole they dug themselves, the playoffs are now a long shot.
But they’re playing good basketball now — 3-1 out of the All-Star break, with a top-five net rating in the last 15 games. Cloud calls them a sleeper team.
‘‘Whether people want to admit it or not, they don’t want to face us,’’ Cloud said.
There’s probably some truth to that. The Sky stunned the defending champion Aces and have a chance to spoil things for the Fever on Saturday at the United Center. They’ll have to do it without Taylor, who’s out with a groin injury.
After practice Friday, with Taylor lingering to shoot, Cloud reminded anyone within earshot how much Taylor loves her, pointing at their matching purple shoes for proof. There’s truth to that, too. Taylor really does look up to Cloud.
Cloud, a three-time All-Defense selection, often pulls Taylor aside with defensive pointers. She sees Taylor’s quickness and strength and coaches her on how to weaponize them.
‘‘Just giving her minute tendencies that I do that I think she can also implement into her game that create just a little bit of advantage,’’ Cloud said. ‘‘She’s such a great offensive player. I won’t allow her to box herself into one; you’re a two-way player.’’
Asked whether she has learned anything from her mentee, Cloud laughed and called out Taylor’s game-winner against the Aces. Cloud wanted to celebrate, but Taylor reminded her there were still 0.9 seconds of defense to be played.
The real answer, however, is that Taylor’s breakout has Cloud reaching deeper into her own bag. And Taylor’s feedback has given Cloud confidence as a leader.
‘‘You always think, like, ‘I hope I’m giving to the team in the best way that I can,’ ’’ Cloud said, ‘‘but you never know if that’s actually happening.’’
The Sky’s record — 12-19 — and the number of games they’ve blown mean that, come season’s end, there will be plenty of soul-searching for everyone to do. But it’s not a lost season. One that has spawned the Cloud-Taylor connection can’t be.
NOTE: Forward Azura Stevens returned to practice Friday after missing four games for personal reasons. She didn’t comment on her absence, other than to say it was “just personal stuff I was dealing with.” Coach Tyler Marsh said he expects her ramp-up to be quick.