Mercury guard Celeste Taylor reconnects with former Fever teammates
Caitlin Clark on lineup changes and slow start in Fever’s loss to Mystics
The Indiana Fever lost to the Washington Mystics on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse despite Caitlin Clark’s 29 points and 13 assists.
INDIANAPOLIS – When Celeste Taylor walked off the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday before the Indiana Fever-Phoenix Mercury game, she wore a Mercury uniform for the first time. The former Ohio State standout was selected by the Fever with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft but has been a free agent since her June 25 release.
Taylor said she learned of Phoenix’s contract offer during a practice in San Antonio, two days before the Mercury officially announced the deal just before noon on Friday.
“You have to make sure you’re prepared at all times,” Taylor said. “All the players have been very welcoming and have been very supportive during my time here so far… Not many people are lucky enough to experience something like that.”
Although her experience with Phoenix has been incredibly limited so far, Taylor said she’s tried to absorb as much knowledge as she can from standout veterans like Kahleah Cooper and Brittney Griner. Taylor only played 16 minutes in five appearances for Indiana, but she could get plenty of playing time in her first Mercury game, with Phoenix guards like Natasha Cloud, Diana Taurasi, Sug Sutton and Charisma Osborne missing Friday’s game in Indianapolis due to injury.
“It’s exciting,” Taylor said. “You never know when you’re going to see some people again… It’s kind of cool to be back in Indiana. I’ve got pretty good support from the fans even though I haven’t really played that much.”
She even gave an autograph to a young fan who was sitting on the sidelines during the pre-game warm-up.
Taylor said she was able to briefly connect with former Fever teammates with whom she developed close friendships during her brief time at Indiana, such as Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. However, head coach Christie Sides said she had not seen Taylor before the game began.
“I’ve been trying to find her since I heard the news,” Sides said. “I’m really happy for her.”
Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at [email protected] or via X @KyleSmedley_.
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