Indiana Fever waives Celeste Taylor for Damiris Dantas

The Indiana Fever have announced a roster move that will see them waive guard Celeste Taylor and activate forward Damiris Dantas. Taylor was the 15th pick in the WNBA Draft and some fans had advocated giving her a chance in the rotation given Taylor’s reputation as a defender.

That’s obviously not going to happen now and it looks like Dantas will be considered sooner rather than later. Dantas’ contract was suspended due to a knee injury, but after this move she is back in the team.

Dantas will likely be expected to be a big in the post and floor spacing, as she shot long balls very well in Turkey and also thrived from the three-point line in the WNBA. Fever general manager Lin Dunn had previously emphasized her ability to play either power forward or center for the team.

Damiris most recently played for the Minnesota Lynx in the league. Her best season was 2020, when she averaged over 12 points per game and shot over 40% from the three-point line. Taylor is now leaving the club after playing just 16 minutes in total in her rookie season.

The Fever also received more good news on the injury front with the return of Temi Fagbenle. Fagbenle will officially be evaluated on a day-to-day basis before the game against the Seattle Storm after missing several weeks with a foot injury. Temi and Caitlin Clark showed strong chemistry when they shared the court together earlier this season.