By Salem Chicago News Staff
CHICAGO — Chicago Sky guard Sydney Taylor was voted to the Associated Press WNBA All-Rookie Team, the AP announced Sunday.
Taylor averaged 13.6 points and 2.0 assists in 37 games, including 26 starts, during her first professional season. She joined AP Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles of Minnesota, Azzi Fudd of Dallas, Flau’jae Johnson of Seattle, Pauline Astier of New York and Kiki Rice of Toronto on the six-member team.
Taylor initially signed a training camp deal with the Sky before earning a regular-season roster spot as an undrafted rookie. She became the highest-scoring undrafted rookie in WNBA history, finishing with 504 points.
Her breakout performances included a 30-point game on June 11 against Indiana, when she hit 10 of 14 field goals and four of seven three-pointers. She scored a career-high 31 points on July 22 against New York, joining Miles as the only two rookies with multiple 30-point games this season.
Taylor became the first rookie to hit two go-ahead game-winning three-pointers in league history, connecting on clutch shots in wins over the Las Vegas Aces on Aug. 1 and the Golden State Valkyries on Aug. 21.
Once she moved into the starting lineup, her scoring jumped to 15.4 points per game. In games where she played at least 20 minutes, Taylor averaged 17 points.
She led the 2026 rookie class with 71 three-pointers and ranked third among rookies in scoring and field goals made with 176. Taylor also set the Sky’s all-time rookie three-point record and finished second among rookie scorers in franchise history.
The AP awards, voted on by a 17-member national media panel, differ from the WNBA’s official postseason honors. A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces won AP Player of the Year for an unprecedented third consecutive season. Angel Reese, now with the Atlanta Dream, was named AP Defensive Player of the Year.
Taylor will be a reserved free agent this offseason, meaning she can negotiate only with the Sky. She has expressed interest in signing a multi-year deal with the franchise.
The selection highlights the Sky’s investment in young talent as the franchise looks to build for the future after a season that saw several roster changes.
Source: Chicago Sky — News
