INDIANAPOLIS — Call it the Sydney Taylor game.
The rookie Sky guard sliced and diced her way to 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting.
She brought the team back from a 19-point deficit all the way to overtime, but they ultimately fell 114-106 to the Fever. It was the second consecutive winnable game the Sky let slip away.
At 4-9, the pressure is building on coach Tyler Marsh to make some changes. Taylor’s performance may warrant a bigger role.
Taylor had erupted before — 27 points in 23 minutes against the Tempo in May — and her minutes had steadied around 20 per game. Then she played very little in the previous two games.
“I was in my head a little bit the last couple games, scared to make mistakes and stuff like that,” Taylor said. “So just going out there and doing what I do, trusting my work.”
“The last few days have been tough for me. I’ve been through similar situations before at UMass, so I’m knowing how to handle it better, but it’s definitely tough, coming into the game, not knowing whether you’re gonna play or not.”
Marsh said figuring out her role is a process.
“There’s been several games this year where she’s been able to show her explosiveness and then other times where rookie growing pains present itself,” Marsh said. “We know the type of offensive power that she has. She came better on the defensive end, so we’ll continue to find ways to get her in there.”
Sky point guard Skylar Diggins sank a 3-pointer with 5.1 left to force overtime, but rebounding hurt them again in the final period. Fever center Aliyah Boston capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting.