Former Ohio State guard Celeste Taylor signs one-year deal with the Sydney Flames of the Women’s National Basketball League – Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Taylor joins the WNBL, Australia’s oldest women’s sports league, just two weeks after she was released by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever on June 25 to make room for injured forward Damiris Dantas. Taylor, who was selected by the franchise 15th overall in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 15, played just five games for Indiana this season, recording just three points, one rebound, one block and one assist in 16 minutes of playing time before being released.

Taylor’s time in the WNBA was short-lived – a fate that befalls many second-round draft picks in a league with only 12 teams and limited roster space – but she now has the opportunity to start her professional career with a Flames team that finished the 2023-24 season with an 11-10 record and sixth place in the WNBL, flashscore.com reports.

“I’m excited to play my first year in the WNBL and learn under (Flames head coach Guy Molloy) and grow through his leadership,” Taylor said in a team statement. “I’ll bring a lot of energy, excitement, defense and leadership! I’ll bring a different style of basketball with IQ, it’s going to be a great time for all our fans to come and watch us!”

Taylor is the second former Buckeye to sign with a foreign team this summer after struggling to stay on the roster in the WNBA. Former Ohio State guard Taylor Mikesell, who was also drafted and released by the Fever as a 2023 second-round draft pick, signed on June 26 with Gerbike KESB, a team based in Gernika, Spain, that competes in the Liga Femenina, the top professional basketball league in that country.

But while Mikesell hopes to shine in Spain with her elite three-point shooting, Taylor will look to earn playing time in Australia with her defensive strength and improved offensive skills – two strengths of her game that she demonstrated in her only season with the Buckeyes in 2023-24.

The Valley Stream, New York native started all 32 games for Kevin McGuff’s squad last season and averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, which were the most on her team. These impressive statistics earned her the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, her second Defensive Player of the Year award after winning the ACC’s award during her time at Duke in the 2022-23 season.

“(Taylor is) a player we’re really excited to add to our roster. She’s a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who plays on both ends of the court and shows great speed and athleticism,” Molloy said. “We watched a lot of her footage from Duke and Ohio State. Her diligence along with her young basketball talent — her addition to the Flames excites me.”

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