NEW YORK — Sydney Taylor was talking to herself during a dead ball.
The Sky rookie practiced the motion of her jumper, then replayed the dribble move she had just made. The open pull-up had rattled around the rim. Another shot slightly off.
It has been that kind of stretch for Taylor, who’s shooting 30.2% from the field and 25% from three-point range in the last four games. She finished the Sky’s blowout loss to the Liberty on Saturday with 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting.
It is the first real slump for Taylor since she burst onto the scene in June and established herself not only as the Sky’s best shot-creator, but as one of the best rookies in her class.
A groin injury disrupted her rhythm. Taylor has been on a roughly 20-minute restriction since returning, a difficult adjustment for a volume scorer. Groin injuries also are notoriously difficult to recover from.
“Just trying to fight through it,” Taylor said after the game. “Keep playing. I know my teammates need me to do a lot more than just scoring the ball, so next-play mentality.”
Taylor is clearly frustrated, struggling individually as the Sky have lost three straight and been eliminated from playoff contention. But coach Tyler Marsh sees value in what she is experiencing.
“It’s going to help continue to mold her into who she’s going to be in this league,” he said before the game. “It’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows for you. As a top-tier scorer, she’s got to continue to find ways to battle through adversity and nights where it’s not going her way. You can tell she’s been frustrated the last two with shots not falling.”
The key for Taylor, as Marsh has emphasized throughout the season, is not falling in love with her three-pointer. He wants her to get a few looks near the basket first, then allow those opportunities to open up her outside game.
Her most difficult-to-guard attribute, at least right now, is her lightning speed. Defenders struggle to keep her in front, and she has a soft touch around the basket.
Taylor leaned on that speed at times Saturday, reaching the paint with a few ankle-breaking moves and getting to the free-throw line. But even there, she made only three of six attempts.
“Any time she comes to me, I meet her with a smile because it’s like, look: This is what you wanted, this is what you got,” Marsh said. “This is part of being a great player. She’s going to have more nights like that, but she’s also going to have more nights where she’s in the 20, 25, 30 range, where she’s hitting game-winners.”
Taylor was far from the only player who struggled to score Saturday, as both teams shot below 40%. But the Liberty made 11 three-pointers to the Sky’s four and converted their free throws.
The Sky now enter the FIBA break, which runs from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16, with four games left and no playoff race to motivate them.
Marsh wants to use the remaining games to build for the future, giving younger players more minutes while being mindful of the wear on those who have carried heavier workloads. But maintaining urgency can be difficult once the season’s central goal is gone.
Maybe the break can provide the reset both Taylor and the Sky need.
“I think it’s important mentally, emotionally and physically to just kind of recoup, so they’re coming back for the last few games of the season with a clear mind and a new vision for how we want to end the season,” Marsh said. “Sometimes you need to get away and latch onto some things that mean just as much as basketball. Be with loved ones and enjoy the time to yourself. I think that’s very important.”
