{"id":790168,"date":"2026-07-28T22:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T22:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/790168\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T22:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T22:42:10","slug":"skys-sydney-taylor-is-not-an-all-star-yet-but-the-right-people-are-noticing-her","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/790168\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky’s Sydney Taylor is not an All-Star yet, but the right people are noticing her"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Sky<\/a> played the Aces earlier this month, Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon was asked her impression of rookie guard Sydney Taylor.<\/p>\n

Hammon needed only one word to make her point.<\/p>\n

\u201cStud,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

It was high praise from the coach of the defending champions. And Hammon isn\u2019t the only basketball legend taking notice.<\/p>\n

During All-Star weekend in Chicago, NBA champions Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant approached Taylor and told her they had noticed her game. <\/p>\n

She\u2019s kind of hard to miss. The 5-9 guard has the kind of bounce that once allowed her to dunk a tennis ball and the burst to beat almost anyone off the dribble.<\/p>\n

Taylor went undrafted out of college and came off the bench to begin the season. She was not an All-Star this year. But over the course of the weekend, she got a taste of the star treatment that could be in her future.<\/p>\n

She interviewed with ESPN at WNBA Live and met with AAU players in town for the Nike Classic. The weekend\u2019s most memorable introduction came during a private gathering, when Taylor and her teammates met former President Barack Obama<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told my parents his presence, when he walked in the room alone, was very breathtaking,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cI feel like I had to straighten up and act right.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a big part of history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor\u2019s rise could hardly have come at a more important time for the Sky.<\/p>\n

They are in their third consecutive losing season, and for the first time in the organization\u2019s 21-year history, they went without an All-Star.<\/p>\n

They need to find their next generation of stars.<\/p>\n

Before tearing her ACL, forward Rickea Jackson appeared ready to become one of them. Third-year center Kamilla Cardoso has also taken a significant step forward and came closest to earning an All-Star nod.<\/p>\n

Taylor\u2019s emergence gives the Sky another possibility.<\/p>\n

She is already tied with veteran Skylar Diggins for the team lead at 14.2 points per game.<\/p>\n

But maybe the most important thing about Taylor is that she always wants more.<\/p>\n

When she was coming off the bench, she was unafraid to say she wanted more minutes. Now she is just as comfortable acknowledging that she wants more opportunities to close out games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love doing that,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cIt\u2019s who I am. I enjoy taking those type of shots. I like the ball in my hands late in the game, being able to create, not just for myself but for my teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, I\u2019ve always been that kind of player. You stay in the driveway and you\u2019re counting down, 3, 2, 1, and you throw up a crazy shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

As her profile has risen, Taylor said former coaches from childhood have reached out. None have been surprised to see her thriving at this level.<\/p>\n

Since moving into the starting lineup midway through the season, Taylor is averaging 17.9 points while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.4% from three-point range. She\u2019s already made multiple last-second three-pointers to give the Sky a chance to win.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all still a relatively small sample. But coach Tyler Marsh said this week he wants to give Taylor more chances to become the team\u2019s \u201ccloser.\u201d And if she continues playing this way, her All-Star case will write itself.<\/p>\n

Taylor is not afraid to say it.<\/p>\n

She wants to be an All-Star next year.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Sky<\/p>\n

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The Sky\u2019s playoff odds are slim, and a top draft pick could be headed to Washington. But a healthier roster and the emergence of rookie Sydney Taylor offer hope for a second-half surge.<\/p>\n

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\"***BESTPIX***<\/p>\n

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The Fever star is embracing her ascent with gusto, but she might not be the only one controlling her narrative.<\/p>\n

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\"WNBA<\/p>\n

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Amid recent reporting that her tenure may be coming to an end, Engelbert said she heard players\u2019 feedback that she needs to communicate more.<\/p>\n

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