Sydney Taylor poured in 30 points on efficient shooting and helped the Sky rally from a 19-point deficit to force overtime, but Indiana ultimately beat Chicago’s team 114-106.
INDIANAPOLIS — Sydney Taylor didn’t just score. She took over.
The rookie guard finished with 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting, slicing through defenses in a way that felt like a turning point for the Sky. Her play dragged Chicago back from a 19-point deficit and pushed the game into overtime. Still, the Sky fell 114-106 to the Fever.
It was the second consecutive winnable game the Sky let slip away, and the fallout is landing quickly. With the Sky sitting at 4-9, pressure is building on coach Tyler Marsh to make changes.
Taylor’s impact has been hard to ignore. Earlier this year, she erupted for 27 points in 23 minutes against the Tempo in May. Her minutes had steadied around 20 per game before she saw very little action in the previous two games.
After the loss, Taylor described what has been happening between games and in her own head. “I was in my head a little bit the last couple games, scared to make mistakes and stuff like that,” she said. “So just going out there and doing what I do, trusting my work.”
She also pointed to the uncertainty that comes with not knowing where her role will land. “The last few days have been tough for me. I’ve been through similar situations before at UMass. so I’m knowing how to handle it better. but it’s definitely tough. coming into the game. not knowing whether you’re gonna play or not.”.
Marsh. for his part. framed it as a work in progress—one tied to both production and the learning curve that comes with rookies. “There’s been several games this year where she’s been able to show her explosiveness and then other times where rookie growing pains present itself. ” Marsh said. “We know the type of offensive power that she has. She came better on the defensive end, so we’ll continue to find ways to get her in there.”.
There was one moment in particular that showed how tightly this game swung. Skylar Diggins sank a 3-pointer with 5.1 left to force overtime, but rebounding continued to hurt the Sky in the final period.
For Indiana, the damage came from the paint and the follow-ups. Fever center Aliyah Boston capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting.
By the end. Taylor’s performance made one thing unmistakable: the Sky can function differently when she gets the space to dictate the pace. The question now is whether this game’s comeback—and the way the Sky nearly turned it into a second straight win—will move Taylor’s role from “process” to something closer to a permanent fixture as the season pushes on with the Sky still searching for answers at 4-9.
Sydney Taylor Sky Fever Aliyah Boston Tyler Marsh Skylar Diggins WNBA overtime