The Phoenix Mercury announced Thursday they’ve waived reserve guard Celeste Taylor, ending the former Ohio State Buckeye’s second stint with the team, per Underdog WNBA.
Taylor was the Indiana Fever’s No. 15 pick in April 2024, joining WNBA Kia Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, who was selected No. 1 overall.
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Taylor spent time with Indiana, Connecticut, and Phoenix before earning a training-camp invite with the Mercury for 2025.
Taylor and Clark shared a Fever locker room from mid-April through late June 2024.
Clark started all 40 games, averaging 35.4 minutes, while Taylor appeared sparingly, in only five contests, as head coach Christie Sides leaned heavily on veterans.
Prior to getting drafted in 2024, Taylor capped a decorated college career that saw her earn ACC Defensive Player of the Year at Duke (2023) and Second-Team All-Big Ten honors at Ohio State (2024).
Taylor made Indiana’s opening roster and appeared in five games, logging just 3.2 minutes per contest before being waived on June 25.
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Phoenix signed her to a series of seven-day contracts beginning July 12, then brought her back twice more, ultimately converting her deal into a rest-of-season contract.
She played 15 games (four starts) for the Mercury, averaging 3.5 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 rebounds over 20 minutes.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Clark, meanwhile, exploded onto the league in 2024, averaging 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds as a rookie, while leading the league with 8.4 assists per game.
She earned WNBA All-Star and All-WNBA First Team honors after leading Indiana to its first playoff berth since 2016.
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