CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 17: Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty and Pauline Astier #18 of the New York Liberty defend Sydney Taylor #12 of the Chicago Sky shot during the second half of a 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup game on June 17, 2026 at Wintr …
There's a sports cliché for everything.
"It's a game of inches," you could say as Sydney Taylor's would-be game-winner to beat the New York Liberty hit off the back iron and away from the rim.
"Give 110 percent," you could say as Taylor's first start in the WNBA and for the Chicago Sky ended with Taylor dropping a team-high 24 points.
"There are no moral victories," you should say after the Sky dropped a 96-95 heartbreaker at Wintrust Arena. It was the team's ninth loss in the last 10 games.
Taylor's first start was oh, so close to being a heroic debut in the starting five. If she was able to drop her final shot in the waning seconds, it would have changed any debate about moral victories to an actual win.
"If you're willing to take those shots, you gotta be willing to live with the result," Taylor said. "That's the shot I'm not scared of taking.
But, there's at least some direction now.
Sydney Taylor is giving the Sky something they've been desperately seeking since Rickea Jackson was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
By the numbers:
Taylor was one of the last players to make the Sky's roster.
She was kept on the final roster of 12 over Hailey Van Lith, much to the surprise of Sky fans around the city.
On Wednesday, she at least validated that decision. It was almost better.
When she rose for the final shot of the game over Breanna Stewart and Pauline Astier, it looked like she was on the verge of being the hero. Not tonight, unfortunately for the Sky.
After the miss, Taylor's teammates gathered around her.
"It was a very tough shot," Taylor said. "Maybe could've got a better look, but I appreciate my teammates standing around, encouraging me and helping me keep my head up."
Those teammates have known this has been a longtime coming, too.
"She's a bucket out there," rookie Gabriela Jaquez, who had 22 points of her own on Wednesday, said. "Everyone can now see it, which I'm super proud of her. It's so much fun to play with Syd."
It's fun when she's currently on a heater.
In her last two games, Taylor has shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range. She's scored 54 points. She's played 20 minutes or more six times, and scored in double figures in five of those games.
It's coming together for the rookie. She's earned a starting spot, where Jacy Sheldon can help off the bench.
Either way, Taylor's giving the Sky electic plays in clutch moments.
"My mentality is to put the ball in the basket that, and that's it," Taylor said. "It didn't work out tonight, but hopefully these are the right steps in the right direction for us and then we can get a win in the next couple games."
Big picture view:
There are no moral victories in sports. There is no grey area. Teams win or lose and that's all.
But there is a win in finding a direction.
The Sky have been oh, so close to winning games against good teams. Taylor is a reason why. Her 24 points on Wednesday, plus her 30 points in last weekend's loss to the Indiana Fever, are pushing the Sky closer to wins.
This means something for a team that needs a player to help lift them.
Giving Taylor more chances to be a go-to scoring player. That takes a little weight off Skylar Diggins' shoulders, who can still play at a high level but the team needs to be conscious of the fact she's 35 years old.
The point guard rotation will improve when Courtney Vandersloot returns, but what about a player that can just score the ball?
That was Jackson's role. Without her, the Sky have been looking for an answer ever since.
It feels like Taylor is becoming that answer for the Sky, who are running out of time.
This was a season where the Sky started 3-1. Jackson’s injury was tough to rally from, and that's understandable. But if the Sky can't find something that works, the season could get away from them in a hurry.
Taylor's play the last few games has proved there's a player that could help turn the team's luck around while they wait for Vandersloot and DiJonai Carrington to get on the floor.
"She's earning the opportunities to see what it looks like with our first unit and against other team's first units," Sky coach Tyler Marsh said. "Very proud of that."