The Sky narrowly lost to the Liberty in a tight 96-95 matchup with action down to the final seconds in Wintrust Arena on Wednesday, June 17.

The closely contested face-off marked the third game in a row that Chicago saw nine or more lead changes while holding the final score within eight points of their opponent. While these near-wins haven’t resulted in the Sky’s favor, there has been a clear growing drive to fight through adversity.

The Sky got off to a dominant start in the first quarter, leading 32-27. Going into the half, the Sky trailed by just two points after the Liberty put up 20 points in the second quarter. Chicago outscored New York again in the fourth quarter 27-22.

In her first career start, rookie Sydney Taylor had yet another standout performance, posting 24 points, three steals, and two assists. Taylor’s precision was showcased in her 63% shooting from the field and 57% line from deep.

Taylor showed out in a highlight-worthy performance when she sank a three to give the Sky a one-point lead with just 15.6 seconds remaining of regulation. Taylor proved her ability to deliver in high-pressure moments despite the East-leading Liberty pulling away at the last second.

Alongside Taylor’s standout effort was fellow rookie Gabriela Jaquez. The former Bruin notched a career-high 22 points while shooting 100% (4 of 4) from the line, 80% (4 of 5) from three, and 64% (7 of 11) from the field.

Rounding out the Sky’s offense were All-Star Skylar Diggins putting up 19 points and eight assists, Natasha Cloud recording 11 points and four assists, and Kamilla Cardoso notching 10 points and four assists.

Azurá Stevens was a formidable force, securing six rebounds with five of them being defensive while simultaneously posting six points.

Three of the Liberty’s starters hit double digits in Wednesday’s game. Five-time All-Star and 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones posted a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart tallied 17 points, six rebounds, and two steals while four-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu recorded ten points and three rebounds.

The Sky enter a stretch on the road with a game against the Wings on Saturday, June 20 in the American Airlines Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.