Sydney Taylor went undrafted after a standout collegiate career that included stops at UMass and Louisville. Like many undrafted players with aspirations of playing basketball professionally, she headed overseas, playing in Lithuania and Poland.<\/p>\n
Then, in April, she signed a training camp deal with the Chicago Sky.<\/p>\n
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Most undrafted players who sign training camp deals don\u2019t end up making it. Oftentimes, it takes multiple tries for a preseason opportunity to turn into a standard roster spot. Sometimes, that never materializes.<\/p>\n
But Taylor capitalized on the opportunity with a strong preseason. Now, just a few months later, she\u2019s beginning to establish herself as a notable rookie in the class \u2014 and, perhaps, one of the most effective guards on the Sky.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old is averaging 9.5 points in just 13.5 minutes per game. On Thursday, in an overtime loss to the Indiana Fever, she exploded for a career-high 30 points on 10 of 14 shooting in just 21 minutes.<\/p>\n
That wasn\u2019t the first high-scoring affair of her rookie season; Taylor also tallied 27 points in a loss to the Toronto Tempo<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Taylor\u2019s 30-point game is the highest-scoring affair by a member of the rookie class this season \u2014 a class that includes Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd, Lauren Betts, and other dominant college players. Her 30 points are also the most points scored by a bench player so far this year.<\/p>\n Could Sydney Taylor see an increased opportunity with the Chicago Sky? <\/p>\n Taylor could soon find herself jumping ahead of other Sky guards in the rotation, like Rachel Banham<\/a>, who is averaging just 4.8 points in 16.5 minutes per game. Taylor had logged double-digit minutes in six consecutive games, but barely played in consecutive games before getting an increased chance on Thursday.<\/p>\n Head coach Tyler Marsh suggested after the Sky\u2019s loss to the Fever that improvements on the defensive end will enable the rookie to get more extended run.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n