The narrative shifted in the second half as Chicago’s bench took over, eventually ooutscoring Minnesota’s bench 27-7 and fueling the Sky’s late push. Rookie Sydney Taylor delivered exactly the spark Head Coach Tyler Marsh has been searching for, putting together the best performance of her young career with a career-high 11 points in 20 impactful minutes.

Taylor’s energy and confidence on offense gave Chicago a much-needed spark alongside another strong performance from Kamilla Cardoso. The two helped fuel a 17-7 fourth-quarter run that cut Minnesota’s lead to single digits and brought the Sky back into the game late.

Cardoso led the Sky in scoring for the second consecutive game, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds while continuing to dominate through contact inside. The second-year center was also flawless at the free throw line, knocking down all nine of her attempts in one of her most polished offensive performances of the season.

“That’s kind of Sydney at her best—is the spark that she can give offensively,” Marsh noted. “She comes in with legs and with juice and she’s able to play at another pace.”

A Force on the Glass

Veteran forward Natasha Howard delivered a dominant, all-around performance to anchor the Minnesota Lynx in their 85-75 victory over the Chicago Sky. Howard finished with a game-high 26 points and a season-best 14 rebounds, shooting a surgical 11-of-15 from the field. 

From the opening tip, Howard established Minnesota’s physical presence on both ends of the floor. She anchored the Lynx’s dominant effort on the glass as Minnesota outrebounded Chicago 54-28 overall. Howard was in full control during the first half, pulling down nine rebounds before the break and helping Minnesota own the paint while limiting the Sky to just 10 second-chance points.

Howard’s offensive output was as efficient as it was high-volume. She shot a blistering 11-of-15 (73.3%) from the field, dismantling Chicago’s interior defense regardless of the matchup. 

Her impact was felt most heavily during the decisive second quarter. As the Lynx outscored the Sky 28-16 to break the game open, Howard was responsible for 14 of those 28 points (scoring 12 herself and creating two more via an assist). By halftime, she had already established herself as the focal point the Sky could not contain.

The Veteran Difference

In a game where Chicago’s defense created chaos with 11 steals and 24 forced turnovers, Howard’s veteran presence kept Minnesota in control. While the Sky’s young core showed flashes throughout the night, Howard consistently answered every Chicago run with poise on both ends of the floor.

The Lynx also did damage on the glass with 18 second-chance points and owned the paint, outscoring Chicago 42-30 inside. Courtney Williams added 17 points, while Kayla McBride climbed to No. 6 on Minnesota’s all-time assists list during the win.

The win pushed the Lynx to 4-2 on the season as Howard once again proved why she remains one of the league’s most impactful two-way players. Minnesota will now turn its attention to Thursday’s matchup against Toronto, where the Lynx will look to carry this momentum forward.

Next Up: The Toronto Homecoming

The Sky will look to snap their home losing streak on Wednesday, May 27, when they host the expansion Toronto Tempo (3-3). The matchup promises to be an emotional one, featuring the return of former Sky guards Marina Mabrey and Kia Nurse to Wintrust Arena.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast locally on The U.

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