The New York Liberty travel to Wintrust Arena this Tuesday to face the Chicago Sky in a rematch of two nail-biters. The contest hinges on the availability of Chicago's Sydney Taylor and the New York Liberty's ability to protect the perimeter .
The 14.2-point void left by Sydney Taylor's groin inujry
The Chicago Sky face a significant tactical hurdle as Sydney Taylor is listed as questionable due to a left groin injury. According to the report , Taylor's presence on the court creates a measurable surge in efficiency; the Chicago Sky boast a 106.2 offensive rating and average 88.7 points when Taylor plays, compared to a 101.6 rating and 82.9 points in her absence.
This disparity is particularly concerning for Chicago given Taylor's history of tormenting the New York Liberty. In their two previous meetings this season, Taylor scored 24 points on June 17 and 31 points on July 22. While the New York Liberty managed to win both games by a single point, those margins suggest that Taylor's ability to hit four three-pointers in a single game, as she did in the most recent meeting, is the difference between a Sky victory and a narrow loss.
Jonquel Jones and the Sky's 36.9 rebounds per game
If Sydney Taylor is unable to provide perimeter scoring, the Chicago Sky will likely lean more heavily on center Kamilla Cardoso. However, the Chicago Sky enter this matchup as the league's worst rebounding team, allowing 36 .9 rebounds per game and posting a bottom-tier rebound percentage of 47.7 percent. this creates a massive strategic opening for the New York Liberty's frontcourt.
The New York Liberty are well-positioned to exploit this weakness through Jonquel Jones, who has already recorded 15 double-doubles this season. As reported, Jones has secured a double-double in each of her last three games and four of her last five, making her the primary weapon to neutralize Kamilla Cardoso and dominate the glass at Wintrust Arena.
The 16-of-24 three-point disaster against Indiana
Despite their success, the New York Liberty are struggling with a perimeter defense that has become a liability. While their interior defense remains top-five in the league, the New York Liberty are among the bottom five teams in opponent three-point percentage, allowing 9.3 made threes per game at a 35.5 percent clip. This trend has worsened over the last 15 games, where opponents are hitting 10.1 threes per game at a 38.4 percent rate.
This vulnerability was laid bare in a recent 106-92 loss to the Indiana Fever, where the Fever converted 16 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc. This pattern suggests a systemic struggle for the New York Liberty to close out on shooters, a flaw that the Chicago Sky can exploit if Sydney Taylor is cleared to play or if other perimeter threats find their rhythm.
Breanna Stewart's dip to 13.8 points per game
The New York Liberty are also dealing with a scoring slump from superstar Breanna Stewart. Over her last four games, Stewart has averaged just 13.8 points on 35.7 percent shooting, a sharp decline from her early-season average of 21.6 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting. The New York Liberty will need Stewart to regain her efficiency to offset the defensive gaps created by the absences of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Satou Sabally.
The absence of Laney-Hamilton and Sabally, combined with the delayed return of Leonie Fiebich, has stripped the New York Liberty of essential wing size and defensive flexibility. This leaves an open question regarding how the New York Liberty will adjust their rotations to stop the Chicago Sky's perimeter attacks without their primary wing defenders. furthermore, it remains unverified how much of a limitation the groin injury will place on Sydney Taylor if she is cleared to play in a limited capacity.
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