Sydney Taylor drilled game-tying and go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 34.4 seconds, and the Chicago Sky — after blowing a 21-point lead — survived a frantic finish to shock the visiting Golden State Valkyries 73-70 Friday night.
Kaitlyn Chen had knocked down a tiebreaking triple from 33 feet for the Valkyries, and soon after she added a floater to put them ahead 70-67 with 46.3 seconds left. The ball found its way to Taylor at the top of the key, and she drilled a 24-footer to tie the score with 34.4 seconds to go.
The Valkyries, who played mostly reserves in the second half after their starting unit was generally unproductive early on, then put the ball in Chen’s hands again, but she was harassed into a short-range airball with 15.8 seconds remaining.
Chicago (15-22) then called a timeout and directed the ball to Taylor, who got enough of an opening over Golden State defensive ace Veronica Burton to bury a 25-footer with 0.6 seconds left.
The Valkyries (25-11), who were tipping off a five-game trip, used a timeout to design a play for supersub Janelle Salaun, and she got a good look at a buzzer-beating 26-footer that came up just short.
Making all five of her 3-point attempts, Natasha Cloud was the game’s top scorer with 17 points for Chicago, which won the season series 2-1 over the Valkyries. Taylor finished with 14 points, as did Kamilla Cardoso as part of a double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds.
Courtney Vandersloot chipped in with 12 points and a game-high five assists for the Sky, who won their third straight.
Laeticia Amihere went for a team-high 16 points off the Golden State bench, part of a reserve crew that combined for 51 of the team’s 70 points.
Salaun had 13 points and fellow sub Tiffany Hayes compiled 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Burton went for 11 for the Valkyries, who fell within one game of the Las Vegas Aces in the battle for second place.
The Sky ran out to as many as a 21-point lead in the first half by dominating the start of each quarter.
Cloud buried a pair of 3-pointers in Chicago’s 17-4 game-opening run, a deficit the Valkyries were able to close to with 17-12 by scoring the final eight points of the first period.
Taylor then bombed a pair from long range as the hosts reasserted themselves by scoring the first 14 points of the second period. The margin was 37-16 at the 4:29 mark before, again, Golden State saved its best for last, closing the half on a 10-1 run to get within 38-26.
–Field Level Media
