Mercury's Taylor Has Unique College Career

Celeste Taylor spent some time with the Phoenix Mercury, and before that, she had a notable college career.

May 11, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Celeste Taylor (12) against the Golden State Valkyries during a preseason game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Celeste Taylor spent some time with the Phoenix Mercury, as she played 15 games with them in 2024. She averaged 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and a steal during that time. Her overall average that year was 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Taylor played for multiple teams that season, as she played for the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun before that. She was drafted by the Indiana, and after spending some time with them, she was waived. She played five games with them before her release.

May 11, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) celebrates a play with guard Celeste Taylor (12) against the Golden State Valkyries during a preseason game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After that, Taylor signed a seven-day contract with the Mercury. Then, she signed a similar deal with the Connecticut Sun, and she played two games with them. Once her deal with Connecticut was up, the Mercury signed her to a second and third seven-day contract before signing her for the rest of the season. Taylor signed a training camp deal before the start of this season, but she was later waived.

Before starting her WNBA journey, Taylor had a notable college career. She started her journey at Texas, as she played two years with the Longhorns. She had her best college season during that time, as she averaged 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and two assists in 2020-21.

Taylor shines in time with Texas

Taylor had some strong performances with the Longhorns, and the best game of her collegiate years happened during that time.

Celeste Taylor takes questions from reporters at Phoenix Mercury Media Day on April 30, 2025, in Phoenix. / Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In her first year with the team, Taylor led her team to victory over Oklahoma. She had 27 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. She was one of three players who scored 10 or more points, as Joyner Holmes had 16 points and Charli Collier had 14 points. Taylor and her teammates played well, and Texas beat Oklahoma 86-76.

Taylor had some more nice games for the Longhorns, as she had 24-point games against SMU and UCLA at other points in her stint.

After those two seasons with the Longhorns, Taylor also played for Duke and Ohio State. She played well with those teams, but she did not top her performance against Oklahoma.

Sep 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Celeste Taylor (12) blocks a shot by LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Overall, Taylor had a solid college career, and she averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in her years with Texas, Duke and Ohio State. Then, when she came to the Mercury, she had a chance to showcase her talents.

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