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A record-setting night for rookie guard Sydney Taylor was spoiled by a heartbreaking finish as the Chicago Sky fell just short against the New York Liberty in a 95-94 thriller Wednesday at Barclays Center.
Chicago lost at the final buzzer for the second straight game. The Sky led by 12 points in the fourth quarter and held an 91-85 advantage with less than a minute remaining, but New York completed a late comeback when Jones made a go-ahead free throw with 3.4 seconds left after Cardoso missed a layup and committed a foul.
Taylor was the biggest reason Chicago was in position to win. The rookie guard scored a career-high 31 points while shooting 9-of-17 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. She also contributed three rebounds and three assists.
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With her second 30-point game of the season, Taylor became the rookie with the most 30-point games in franchise history. She also became the WNBA’s all-time leader in 30-point games by an undrafted rookie. Taylor is now one of two rookies this season with multiple 30-point performances and one of three first-year players with multiple 25-point games.
Taylor also set a Sky rookie franchise record with five games featuring at least four made three-pointers, breaking a tie with Kristi Toliver. She matched the franchise record for 25-point games by a rookie with four, joining Diamond DeShields and Elena Delle Donne.
The Long Island native made her first appearance at Barclays Center and had around 30 family members in attendance. She started quickly, scoring 12 points in the opening quarter and showing her ability as a scorer and playmaker. After becoming more comfortable since earning a starting role, Taylor finished with double-digit scoring in 14 of her last 15 games and averaged a team-leading 18.7 points per game since June 11.
Chicago received contributions from several veterans and young players. Courtney Vandersloot recorded season highs with 14 points in 22 minutes, while Natasha Cloud added nine points and a team-high seven assists. Kamilla Cardoso chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Azura Stevens logged eight points, six rebounds and four blocks.
The Liberty were led by Sabrina Ionescu, who scored nine points in the final minute and finished with 29 points. Breanna Stewart managed 20 points and nine rebounds, Jonquel Jones had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Rebecca Allen produced 12 points.
With the first half of the season in the rearview mirror, the Sky head into the All-Star break at 9-18 before returning to action on July 30 against the Connecticut Sun.
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