Recent injuries have plagued the Phoenix Mercury and that bug reached its climax on Friday night against the Indiana Fever.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The team came into Gainbridge Fieldhouse with three players — Diana Taurasi (left lower leg), Sug Sutton (right hamstring), and Charisma Osborne (left lower leg) — listed as out on the status report. Just about an hour before tip-off, Natasha Cloud (left knee) was added to that list.
Then, over an hour after that, Brittney Griner went down in the second quarter with a “strained groin”, according to Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts.
Despite a resilient effort and near historic comeback, the Mercury lost to the Fever for the second time this season. With just six players to work with after the second quarter, the odds were nearly insurmountable.
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The team was more than aware that the number of injuries would raise a problem, and prepared ahead of time to find a last second reinforcement to help. Insert rookie guard Celeste Taylor — who signed a seven-day contract with the Mercury just hours before Friday’s game.
Taylor was drafted by Indiana in the 2024 WNBA Draft, where the Fever selected the Ohio State Buckeye with the 15th overall pick. The 5-foot-11 guard saw action in five games for Indiana this season — playing just 16 cumulative minutes across that span. She scored three points and attempted one field goal.
Taylor was waived on June 25, and 17 days later, signed a seven-day contract in Phoenix through its injury crisis. Taylor received more of an opportunity than she ever did in Indiana during her first game — and it came against the very team that drafted her. Pretty poetic.
Taylor only scored one point and went 0-for-3 from the field, but tallied three rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 24 minutes of action.
Welcome to the Merc, Celeste! pic.twitter.com/E03btwnF2S
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) July 13, 2024
“She’s excited,” Tibbetts said before the game when asked about Taylor getting an opportunity. “Most players get excited to play against the team that they played with before. She was a player that we looked at in the draft, offensively she’s really explosive but we like her defensive versatility and that’s an area that we want to continue to get better at with our injuries. We just thought it would be a really good move to look at a good, young player.”
Cloud has continuously mentioned how the point guard position is “the most important on the floor.” Describing it as an “extension of the coach”, Cloud knows how important it is to have a floor general that can command an offense and lead for those around them.
The veteran point guard took to X after the game to praise Taylor’s performance:
When preparation meets opportunity???????? https://t.co/TJx7r0LBFG
— Natasha Cloud (@T_Cloud4) July 13, 2024
“When preparation meets opportunity,” Cloud said in response to Camille Buxeda, creator of WSLAM who showed Taylor that same love for staying prepared.
Before transferring to Ohio State, Taylor played at Duke from 2021 to 2023, and Texas from 2019 to 2021. In her freshman year with the Longhorns, Taylor played under current Mercury teammate Sug Sutton, who was using her final season of eligibility before being drafted in 2020.
Sutton responded to that same post by Buxeda praising Taylor for stepping up in the absence of her, Cloud and Osborne:
a competitor & everything I thought she would be since day one when she stepped on Texas campus with us???????????? proud of this one! https://t.co/GS9O1FRooN
— Sug Sutton (@sugsutton) July 13, 2024
“A competitor & everything I thought she would be since day one when she stepped on Texas campus with us,” Sutton replied. “Proud of this one!”
Kahleah Copper also took the time to reply and call Taylor “a good one.”
A good one ???????? https://t.co/uJBFFmt7i0
— Kahleah Copper (@kahleahcopper) July 13, 2024
A signing like Taylor continues to show the consistency within the Mercury’s organization as of now. The team stockpiled on veteran talent in the off-season like Copper, Cloud and Bec Allen, but look for that same competitiveness, grit, and preparation in those that they sign off the waivers. Taylor brought that to the table in her Mercury debut, and is being praised by her teammates for it.
Indiana Fever stars shine despite Phoenix Mercury’s resilient effort on Friday
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
