CHICAGO – When Sydney Taylor checked out of the Chicago Sky’s Wednesday night win over the Portland Fire, she had 14 points and four assists. The crowd at Wintrust gave her a standing ovation, and she returned the love to the fans by showing heart hands and waving her arms, encouraging the cheers for her teammates.
It’s a scene few could have imagined for the undrafted free agent in her first year in the WNBA.
Earlier this year, Taylor was playing for a EuroLeague team in a small village in Poland, but that didn’t keep her from being focused on her goal of playing in the WNBA. She wrote in her journal about her goals, worked hard, and in April, was invited to Chicago on a training camp contract.
“I’ve been dreaming about it since early in my college career,” Taylor told the IX Sports. “But I really believed it could happen when I got overseas, and I was like, I’m gonna get there.”
Taylor took advantage of the camp contract and scored 23 points in a preseason game. She made the team, first as a spark off the bench. She scored 27 points in a loss to Toronto on June 5, and then had 30 points in the Sky’s loss in Indiana on June 11.
“Sydney knows what she’s capable of. She comes in, and she wants to make an impact, and she does that,” Sky coach Tyler Marsh said on Wednesday. “The gravity that she holds as a scorer impacts itself even when she’s not scoring. People know now what she’s capable of doing, and that in itself holds some weight when she’s out there.”
Marsh moved Taylor to the starting lineup on June 17 for the last-second loss to the Liberty. When she found out she was starting, she called her parents.
“I know they’re very proud of me. They come to support out here. They drove to a game from New York out here, their love for me is amazing,” Taylor said. “So I know they were super proud of me when I told them that news, and I was ecstatic.”
Growing up in New York, Taylor also played soccer. She credits it for the footwork that has made such a difference in the game.
“My mom would always say I played better basketball when I was in the soccer season, so maybe that helps on the court with everything. It was a big part of my life,” Taylor said.
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She started college at UMass, and was named first-team Atlantic-10 before heading to Louisville for her final year of eligibility.
After collegiate ball was over, Taylor played in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the 2024-25 season, and then in Sosnowiec, Poland, in 2025-26. Playing so far from home helped her hone in on her goals.
“[I learned] I can adapt to adversity and change, and how much I really love the game of basketball, because you have to be dedicated to play overseas,” Taylor said. “You’ve really got to love that game. If you’re going through stuff with family back home that you can’t really attend to, that’s difficult at times. Adjusting to playing with your teammates who don’t always speak English, coaches who don’t speak English. It’s difficult, but it’ll definitely test your love for the game.”
She was named the MVP for the Polish League in 2026, and her tape stood out to the Chicago Sky.
“What jumped out on the film is that a lot of her movements look really effortless,” Marsh said. “Her footwork, the way that she came off the screens, the way she handled the ball in space, there’s just some things you can’t teach, and for her it’s kind of an innate ability. She’s from New York and she plays like she’s from New York, and sometimes you can just tell. We were kind of surprised that she had gone under the radar as much as she has.”
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When she arrived for training camp, she knew both that Marsh and Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca believed in her, but that she would need to earn her spot in the competitive WNBA. She again wrote in her journal about what she wanted.
“Just stay the course. There were a lot of great vets, so I didn’t know what the outcome would be,” Taylor said. “[I had to] do what I do, go out there and play my game, regardless if I can make the team or not. That was my mindset for that, and I was writing that in a journal. I was like, you may not make it, but you should have good opportunities elsewhere. But I’m glad I’m here.”
