Former Ohio State guard Celeste Taylor is returning to the WNBA, signing a seven-day contract with the Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
The Mercury only adds to the carousel of teams the 23-year-old Taylor has played for or been associated with in the last few months. On Wednesday it was announced that the former Buckeye signed a one-year deal to play with the Sydney Flames of the Women’s National Basketball League, the longest-running women’s professional league in Australia.
“I am looking forward to playing my first year in the WNBL and under (Flames head coach Guy Molloy), learning and growing through his leadership,” Taylor previously said in a statement released by the Sydney Flames on July 11. “I will be bringing a lot of energy, excitement, defense and leadership! I will bring another style of basketball with IQ, it will be a great time for all our fans that come out and watch us!”
The WNBL season runs from September to March, giving her the opportunity to compete overseas when the WNBA season ends — something many WNBA players do during the offseason to supplement their incomes — if she is still on the Mercury’s roster.
Taylor’s signings with the Mercury and Flames came two weeks after she was waived by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever — who drafted the guard with the 15th overall selection in the second round of the WNBA draft held on April 15 — in a corresponding move to clear roster space for injured forward Damiris Dantas. Taylor was waived by Indiana on June 25 after appearing in five games for the franchise this season, totaling just three points, one rebound, one block and an assist in 16 minutes of action.
Taylor will now hope to put this hectic start to her professional basketball career behind her and make a strong first impression on a veteran Mercury team that boasts one of the more experienced backcourts in the WNBA.
Phoenix — who currently sit at fourth place in the Western Conference with a 12-10 record, 6.5 games behind first-place Minnesota — is anchored on the perimeter by three-time WNBA champion and 11-time All-Star Diana Taurasi, who has missed three of her last four games due to a lower leg injury, potentially clearing up playing time for Taylor if the ailment persists.The Mercury are also led at guard by leading scorer Kahleah Copper (23.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists) and Natasha Cloud (12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists).
Taylor, who has already been pictured at practice with the Mercury and chatting alongside Taurasi Friday afternoon, will have the opportunity to immediately show her worth in the WNBA Friday night when Phoenix takes on Taylor’s former team and now-former teammate Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. with the game airing on ION and streaming on WNBA League Pass.
