Just hours after being signed by Mercury, Celeste Taylor faces former Indiana Fever team

INDIANAPOLIS -- When Celeste Taylor stepped off the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before Friday's Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury contest, it was in a Mercury uniform for the first time. The former Ohio State standout was drafted by the Fever with the 15th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, but she has been a free agent since being waived June 25.

Taylor said she found out about Phoenix's contract offer during a workout in San Antonio two days before the Mercury officially announced the deal Friday just before Noon.

"You need to make sure you're prepared at all times," Taylor said. "All the players are very welcoming and very supportive of my time here so far ... Not a lot of people are lucky enough to have that."

Although her experience with Phoenix has been incredibly limited so far, Taylor said she has tried to absorb as much knowledge as she can from standout veterans like Kahleah Cooper and Brittney Griner. Taylor only earned 16 total minutes across five appearances for Indiana, but she could see substantial playing time in her first Mercury game with Phoenix guards such as Natasha Cloud, Diana Taurasi, Sug Sutton and Charisma Osborne all missing Friday's game in Indianapolis due to injury.

"It's exciting," Taylor said. "You don't know when you're going to see some people again ... It's kinda cool to be back in Indiana, I have some pretty good fan support from really not even playing that much."

She even signed an autograph for a young fan who sat courtside during pre-game warmups.

Taylor said she has been able to reconnect briefly with former Fever teammates she made close friendships with during her limited time in an Indiana uniform, such as Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. However, head coach Christie Sides said she hadn't yet seen Taylor prior to tipoff.

"I've tried to find her since I heard the news," Sides said. "I'm really excited for her."

Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at KSmedley@Gannett.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.