'Is Sydney Taylor playing tonight?' Chicago Sky guard's slow start vs Fever sparks injury concerns

Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night.

Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night, making it her 20th start of the season and 31st appearance overall.

Sydney Taylor was in Chicago’s starting lineup when the Sky hosted the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. (Getty Images via AFP)

Taylor's dull start vs Fever

However, the 25-year-old guard struggled to find her rhythm early. Taylor went scoreless through the first half despite playing nine minutes, prompting some fans online to question whether she was dealing with an injury.

Fans doubt injury scare

One user asked, "Is Sydney Taylor hurt?" Another fan wrote, "injury cooked my girl Sydney Taylor rhythm smh.. " A third questioned her limited playing time, asking, "Why Sydney Taylor only play 3 minutes that first quarter??? "

Deep Dive

Why did Sydney Taylor struggle to score against the Fever?

Was Sydney Taylor dealing with any injuries during the game?

What prompted questions about Sydney Taylor's playing time in the first quarter?

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However, Taylor’s limited workload was not unexpected. Before tipoff, insider Tony East reported that she would remain under a minutes restriction for Sunday’s game, according to Sky head coach Tyler Marsh.

Taylor’s sluggish start left fans frustrated and sparked plenty of questions about her performance. One fan bluntly asked, “How tf Sydney Taylor got 0 points at halftime.”

Another user sarcastically tweeted, “Sydney Taylor forget she had a game today?”

Rookie Taylor faces tough outing

By the latter stages of the third quarter, Taylor had managed just two points while also contributing a couple of assists.

Her production was well below her usual standard, especially considering she has averaged 14.5 points per game this season while playing roughly 20 minutes per contest.

The ongoing campaign marks Taylor’s rookie season in the WNBA, making 2026 her first year as a professional player. Before Sunday’s matchup, she had scored 435 points while averaging 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

The Sky entered the fourth quarter trailing by six points, with the scoreboard reading 83-77 at the end of the third period.