Women’s Basketball: Triumph through transitions: Celeste Taylor’s journey to Ohio State

Katie Stupak
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:39:31 +0000
Basketball, Instagram Page, News, Sports, Women's Basketball, Beth Howe, Buckeyes, buckeyes basketball, Buckeyes women’s basketball, Carla Morrow, Celeste Taylor, Cotie McMahon, Diana Collins, Eboni Walker, Emma Shumate, Jacy Sheldon, Jalen Powell, Kaia Henderson, Karla Vres, Kennedy Cambridge, Kevin McGuff, Madison Greene, ohio state, ohio state basketball, Ohio State women's basketball, Ohio State women's basketball roster, ohio state women's basketball schedule, Ohio State women's basketball score, osu, OSU basketball, Osu women’s basketball, Rebeka Mikulasikova [and 7 more]

Fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor (12) drives to the hoop after intercepting a pass against Rutgers. No. 17 Ohio State defeated the Scarlet Knights 90-55 at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

Celeste Taylor’s love of basketball bounced her across three different states before she landed as a Buckeye in Ohio.

Taylor started her collegiate basketball journey in 2019 at the University of Texas at Austin before heading east to Duke University.

Now a graduate student in psychology, Taylor said in 2023 she decided to finish her collegiate basketball career at Ohio State, bringing her mix of experiences to the Buckeye team.

A native of Long Island, Taylor played major minutes as a freshman, starting in 26 games. She averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while earning a spot on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.

After the cancellation of the NCAA’s 2020 postseason basketball due to COVID-19, the Longhorns moved on from head coach Karen Aston. Taylor said she decided she needed to move on as well.

Taylor chose to play her next two seasons with the Duke Blue Devils. Out of 56 games played, she started in 55, racked up 283 rebounds, 32 blocks and averaged a 68% clip from the free-throw line.

At Duke, Taylor had a defensive rating of 72.2, which helped her become a finalist for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Award during the 2022-23 season.

Weeks after Duke’s loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Colorado, assistant coach Winston Gandy announced he was leaving the Blue Devils to join the South Carolina Gamecocks.?

Gandy being the coach she had connected with the most, Taylor said she too decided it was time for her to make another change.

She chose Ohio State.

Taylor said it wasn’t just her love for Ohio State that drew her to the Buckeyes, it was her previous relationship with assistant coach Jalen Powell, whose father, Jerry Powell, had been one of her earliest coaches in Long Island.

“She’s known me since I was a little kid,” Taylor said. “It was kind of a no-brainer choosing where I wanted to do my fifth year.”

In seven games, Taylor has already proven to be an asset to the Buckeyes, scoring145? 49 points, recording 3514 steals and leading the team in assists with 526. She was also named the team’s player of the week Dec. 4, 2023.

“I love it already,” Taylor said. “From the practices to the workouts to the girls. It’s been a great adjustment. They’ve been very welcoming with open arms.”

Taylor said she also found a home under Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff, during his 11th season coaching the Buckeyes.

McGuff said he tried to recruit Taylor twice, one time after high school and another when she entered the portal, leaving Texas.

“Celeste came from Duke when she was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year,” McGuff said. “You can see today how well she played as a defensive player on the floor, but she is also a very talented offensive player. I think she is going to be a good fit in our system.”

Taylor’s journey is not just defined by the obstacles she has had to overcome, but by her destination, landing her in an Ohio State uniform. She said her secret to withstanding the bumps in the road is patience and trust.

“Trusting my journey, trust in the process and just being patient with myself,” she said.