Sydney Taylor Scored 30 Points in 21 Minutes and Nobody in the WNBA Is Ready For It
Alright, Seattle, listen up! You know we bleed green and blue for our teams, and even though the Chicago Sky ain't ours, what's happening with them right now is absolutely wild. This Saturday, the Sky are hitting the road to face the Dallas Wings, and honestly, it feels like a whole season in one game. The Sky are stuck in a brutal five-game losing streak, sitting at a rough 4-10, and veteran Skylar Diggins straight up called out a "loser mentality" earlier this month. Yikes, right? But buried in that mess is a rookie absolutely GOING OFF, and if she keeps it up, the league is about to get a wake-up call.
The Sky's Nightmare Skid: Can Taylor Light a Fire?
Let's be real, it's been a tough ride for Chicago. After starting 3-1, they've dropped nine of their last ten games. Losing Rickea Jackson for the season to a torn ACL didn't help, and their first game without her was a 99-89 loss to these very same Dallas Wings back on May 20. When a leader like Diggins calls out the team's "loser mentality," you know things are dire. They've been close, pushing the Indiana Fever to overtime in a 114-106 loss, and then getting pushed to the brink themselves, falling 96-95 to the New York Liberty just this past Wednesday. That Liberty game could've been theirs, too, with rookie Sydney Taylor getting a shot at the buzzer to win it all. It didn't fall, but it showed us something big.
Trade on Every Game with Kalshi
Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.
Rookie Phenom Sydney Taylor Is Here, Whether They Like It Or Not
Talk about a bright spot! Sydney Taylor, an undrafted rookie, has been an absolute revelation. She made her first career start against the Liberty, dropping 24 points and almost hitting that game-winner. Not a fluke either. Before that, she came off the bench and put up a jaw-dropping 30 points on 10 of 14 shooting in just 21 minutes during the overtime loss to the Fever. 30 points in 21 minutes! She's only the second WNBA player in history to score at least 30 points in 21 minutes or less. After that explosion, she debuted in the CBS Sports rookie rankings. Kamilla Cardoso also had a season-high 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Wings, marking her second consecutive double-double. These rookies are showing up! Now, the Dallas Wings aren't an easy out, sitting at 9-6 overall. They just beat down the Las Vegas Aces 96-66, even with a road loss to the Golden State Valkyries mixed in. Their inconsistency means they don't want to lose back-to-back, a stat they've held since the first week. Paige Bueckers lit up the Sky for 24 points last time, and Jessica Shepard had a second career triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in that May 20 game. Plus, Azzi Fudd is getting comfortable on the court with Shepard having a breakout season. This is a tough matchup.
Can the Sky turn things around? Saturday's 8 p.m. ET game on CBS and Paramount+ is a huge test. The Wings are favored by 9.5 points, but if Taylor, Cardoso, and the Sky can bottle that fight they showed against the Fever and Liberty, maybe they can snap this losing streak and start building something real. Let's see if this rookie phenom can truly change the narrative. We'll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.