Chicago Sky Rookie Sydney Taylor Shines on a Bumpy Road Trip

A Tough Trip for the Sky

Reporting from Dallas, the Chicago Sky women’s basketball team has been traveling to four different cities to play games. This road trip (that means playing away from home) has been:

• Long
• Hot
• Chaotic (messy and unpredictable)

For a first-year player (called a rookie) named Sydney Taylor, it has also been a big learning experience.

Learning New Things on the Road

Sydney is from New York. When the team was in Los Angeles, she learned what to order at a burger restaurant called In-N-Out from another rookie, Gabriela Jaquez.

That’s a funny fit because Sydney has a basketball move where she bounces the ball in and out quickly — just like the restaurant name!

Sydney’s Favorite Teacher: Kyrie Irving

Sydney told the Sun-Times newspaper that she learned her tricky dribble move from watching her favorite player, Kyrie Irving, who plays guard for the Dallas Mavericks. She watches him on:

• Film
• Highlights
• YouTube
• TikTok

Any time she can see him play, she takes mental notes.

Coach Tyler Marsh was not shocked. He said Sydney’s quickness and ability to control the ball remind him of Irving, and that’s why she is having such a great first season.

Coach Marsh says: “She’s done a really good job of adapting her individual skill set and creativity into our team concept and being able to get our stuff more in sync with our offense.”
(In simple words: She mixes her own cool tricks with what the team wants her to do.)

Sydney’s Awesome Numbers

Since she earned a starting spot (being in the first five players on the court), here is what she does on average:

• 16.2 points per game (points are like scores from making baskets)
• 47% of her shots from the field (the whole court) go in
• 39% of her shots from the three-point line (a far line) go in

Her choice of when to shoot has gotten better as she feels more comfortable, but she still likes to try hard shots.

Where Sydney Needs to Grow

Even though she is doing great, there are things to learn:

• Help the team even when she isn’t scoring
• Keep playing after making mistakes
• Avoid fouling (touching opponents wrongly)
• Become a better playmaker (someone who sets up teammates to score)

This will need more understanding of the pro game and better teamwork (called chemistry) with others.

Sydney says her link with tall center Kamilla Cardoso is getting better every day:

“I love playing with a big post player. It’s really easy. Throw it up, get a lob. She’s a great screener. She’s a great passer on the move. I think our connection is getting better day by day.”

Because many players are hurt, the groups of players on the court keep changing. Sydney said:

“I’m still learning to play with some people. Like Sloot [Courtney Vandersloot], I’m still learning to play off her. She got on me a little bit last game because I wasn’t in the right position.”

[!IMPORTANT]
Sydney has learned fast and is now one of the Sky’s most trusted scorers. The messy road trip gave her the kind of experience an older player would have. But right now, she just wants to go home to her own bed!

DiJonai Carrington Speaks Up About Defense

On Sunday morning during a practice run, player DiJonai Carrington stopped everything to give honest feedback:

“Our closeouts are so bad.”

A closeout is when a defender runs out to a shooter to stop them from easily shooting. She told teammates they don’t need to sprint at every opponent who is behind the three-point line. Most times, the closeout should be calm enough to then do a “shuffle and slide” (sideways steps) instead of flying past the shooter.

How to do a good closeout (in simple steps from Carrington):

1. Don’t run super fast at every far-away shooter.
2. Move in a controlled way to get near them.
3. After you get there, shuffle and slide sideways to stay in front, not jump past.

Carrington is the last player among the Sky’s long-time injured list waiting to play her first game this season. She had foot surgery and has been recovering (getting better). Now she is joining live drills (real-like practice) and is close to coming back.

The Sky really need her careful defense because they have let opponents score more than 90 points in three of their last four games.

Finally Heading Home

After almost two weeks on the road, the Sky will go back to Chicago for two home games next week:

• First, they play the Storm.
• Then they get another try against the Sparks, who beat them 102-87 on Thursday in Los Angeles.

After that, they travel again to play the Dream and the Liberty before the All-Star break (a pause where the best players play a special game). Chicago will host the All-Star weekend on July 24-25.

Summary

To wrap up:

• The Chicago Sky had a long, hot, chaotic four-city road trip.
• Rookie Sydney Taylor is playing amazingly (16.2 pts, 47% FG, 39% 3PT) and learned her moves from Kyrie Irving.
• She is working on defense, playmaking, and teamwork with Kamilla Cardoso and Courtney Vandersloot.
• DiJonai Carrington is almost back from injury and wants better closeouts (defense).
• The team returns home to Chicago next week, then goes out again, then enjoys All-Star weekend at home.

FAQ

Q1: What does “rookie” mean?
A1: A rookie is a player in their very first season on a team or league. Sydney Taylor is a rookie because this is her first year in the WNBA.

Q2: What is a “closeout” in basketball?
A2: It’s when a defender runs out to guard someone who wants to shoot. A good closeout is controlled so the defender can stay in front of the shooter instead of flying past them.

Q3: Who is Kyrie Irving and why does Sydney like him?
A3: Kyrie Irving is a guard for the Dallas Mavericks (a men’s NBA team). Sydney watches his videos to learn his dribbling moves, especially the in-and-out dribble she uses in games.

Q4: When is the All-Star weekend in Chicago?
A4: Chicago will host the All-Star weekend on July 24-25. It’s a break where the best players play a special fun game.

Q5: Why is DiJonai Carrington important right now?
A5: She is coming back from foot surgery and is known for paying attention to defensive details. The Sky have given up many points lately, so they need her help.