Celeste Taylor's tenure with the Indiana Fever has ended, the team announced Tuesday.
Taylor had appeared in five of the Fever's 18 games this season. In a total of 16 minutes, the 5-foot-11 guard scored three points and collected one rebound, one assist and one block.
We have waived guard Celeste Taylor and activated forward Damiris Dantas.
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 25, 2024
Thank you, Celeste
https://t.co/TMdsow38X2 pic.twitter.com/3sj0irHAET
A second-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2024 WNBA draft, Taylor understood her spot on a professional roster was far from guaranteed. Five weeks into the regular season, Taylor will look for a new home.
“They always say the easy part is getting drafted, the hardest part is staying. I want to be a player that stays in the league and not just one that makes it for one year or even for a training camp,” Taylor said in April. “I think for me, (my focus is on) coming in and learning the business side, understanding everything that comes with it. It’ll be new for me, it’ll be new for everyone around me, trying to enjoy the moments and stay with it and stay with my faith and work hard.”
Before her WNBA career started, Taylor spent one year at Ohio State, two years at Duke and two years at Texas. In her lone season with the Buckeyes, Taylor bolstered her draft stock, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors while recording 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals per contest.
For her career, Taylor averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. In addition to her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, the Valley Stream, New York native was an ACC Defensive Player of the Year and honorable mention AP All-American for the Blue Devils. She also earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors for the Longhorns and was a three-time gold medalist for the United States' youth basketball program.
