On the same night the Chicago Sky shattered the WNBA record for the most assists in a single game (38), set a new franchise high in total points (124) and tied the organization’s previous high mark for most three-point field goals in a single game (15), rookie Sydney Taylor may have generated the most raucous reaction of the evening throughout Wintrust Arena.

Roughly two minutes removed from drilling consecutive looks from beyond the arc to push the Sky’s edge over the Portland Fire to 21, the first-year guard fielded a bullet pass from veteran Natasha Cloud in the left corner. Without hesitation, the 25-year-old set her feet, found the laces and, to the pleasure of the thousands littered throughout Wintrust, watched her attempt hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

In just 23 minutes, Taylor scored 29 points on a 72.7% mark from the field, 85.7% clip from deep and 100% finish from the charity stripe. The former Louisville Cardinal is the first rookie to register those splits in under 25 minutes in the WNBA’s 30-year history, and her team-high +34 was the ninth-best single-game plus-minus ever by a player in their first year. Following the record-breaking outing, the New York native also became one of 12 rookies to ever account for a plus-minus of at least +34 in a single game, joining luminaries like Sue Bird and Tina Thompson.

Friday’s showing, while impressive, was far from a fluke. Taylor is one of five rookies to average at least 12 points per appearance and shoot 45% from the field this season.

The others? Olivia Miles, Kiki Rice and Azzi Fudd. All three heard their names called during the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft. Taylor, meanwhile, went undrafted.

From distance – where she’s most lethal – Taylor is one of four rookies with at least 27 made three-point field goals through June 26, trailing only Fudd, Maria Conde and Jovana Nogić. Both Fudd and Conde have played in at least one more game than Taylor following Friday’s rout against Portland.

Taylor’s 199 points are the fourth-most by any rookie in 2026 and most by any first-year player with 16 games played. She’s also got the second-most points ever by an undrafted rookie to start their season. Arguably the most impressive feat of her rookie campaign, though, doesn’t revolve around metrics.

From May 9 to June 11, Taylor came off the bench. Some nights she’d play just three or four minutes. It didn’t matter.

Taylor notched at least 10 points in four of those contests for the second unit, including a 27-point outburst against Toronto on May 27 and a 30-point barrage on June 11 in Indianapolis. Against the Fever, she became the first rookie in WNBA history to chalk up multiple 27-point games off the bench in a rookie season.

Since earning her position in Tyler Marsh’s starting five on June 17, Taylor has yet to walk off the court with fewer than 10 points. Over the five-game, she’s averaging 19 points on 51.7% from the field. While the sample size doesn’t reflect an entire season, no rookie in WNBA history has ever reached that type of apex over the course of a campaign.

Taylor’s impact also mirrors the franchise’s competitiveness over the past few weeks. The Sky boast a +22-point differential over the last five games, which includes wins of 23 and 30 points against the Portland Fire. Against the New York Liberty and Dallas Wings – two squads with at least 11 wins – the Sky fought hard before losing by just one. Her scoring explosions aren’t empty calories. They’re meaningful.

So, when the league announces the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year, end-of-season ballots should feature Taylor’s name toward the top. With over half a season remaining, a player responsible for owning as many individual milestones as she does belongs in those conversations.

In just 16 games, she’s proven why.

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