Minnesota’s Olivia Miles is more or less a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year in the WNBA, but there’s a breakout star in Chicago that continues to put herself in the spotlight for all the right reasons.
Sydney Taylor capped a 29-point game with the last-second 3-pointer that lifted the Sky over the Las Vegas Aces 84-83 on Saturday. Taylor and the Sky continue a five-game homestand Monday when they welcome the Phoenix Mercury, who might play newly acquired star Kelsey Plum for the first time.
Taylor went undrafted out of Louisville in 2024 and spent the past two years playing in Lithuania and Poland. She earned a look in Chicago’s training camp, made the roster to start the season and soon took advantage of her opportunities.
A 30-point explosion June 11 at Indiana earned Taylor a starting role in the Sky’s next game. She’s scored in double figures all but once in her 16 starts, averaging 18.4 points per game and shooting 39.3% from the arc.
Taylor has usually kept her shot attempts in the teens, but she unleashed a career-high 27 field goal attempts against the Aces. Chicago coach Tyler Marsh didn’t mind.
“She knows she has the green light from me,” Marsh said. “I think that more often than not it’s been more contained as of late, but when our offense sputters, she has that ability to ignite us and get a spark.”
Taylor, who went 5 of 11 from the arc Saturday, said she appreciated her team trusting her to take the last shot.
“It feels good, especially when (coaches) want me to iso one of the best players in the world in Jackie Young,” Taylor said.
The Sky (11-18) have won two straight and four of six, their best stretch of the season. They’re still 5 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot. The Mercury (11-19) are six out.
That didn’t stop Phoenix from making a win-now move this weekend. The Mercury reportedly acquired Plum from the Los Angeles Sparks for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder. The team hadn’t confirmed the deal as of Sunday morning.
Injuries have limited Plum to 12 games this season, but at 23.9 ppg, she would rank second in the league in scoring if she qualified for the leaderboard. It’s unknown whether she’ll be with the team and available Monday as Phoenix opens a four-game trip.
The Mercury are trying to turn their season around. They’d won three straight before a 94-92 loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday in which DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Copper each scored 25.
“Every time we lose, we’ve got to be willing to bounce back and forget this when that time comes,” Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts told reporters. “Just to keep fighting. I’ve been proud of the way we’ve played lately.”
–Field Level Media
