WNBA: Celeste Taylor exhibits promise for Phoenix Mercury

Since play resumed after the Olympic break, the Phoenix Mercury have been fairly mediocre, posting a report of 3-4 throughout seven video games.

After bursting out of the break with a rousing rout of the Chicago Sky in Kahleah Copper’s return to the Windy Metropolis, the Mercury, considerably understandably, suffered from a flat first half on the second night time of a back-to-back in opposition to the Indiana Fever. A go to from the Sky resulted in one other win earlier than Phoenix headed to the ATL, the place they break up a two-game set in opposition to the Atlanta Dream; Phoenix was lackluster within the first recreation, earlier than responding with a extra intentional effort within the second recreation. The Mercury then turned in less-than-competitive efforts in opposition to the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. And issues aren’t getting any simpler, with the Las Vegas Aces coming to the Valley on Sunday, Sept. 1.

Even because the Mercury have muddled by means of this mediocrity, they’ve benefited from wins on the margins of the roster, with their reserves—highlighted by recently-reacquired rookie Celeste Taylor—offering optimistic play.

A Taylor-made impression

It’s not unusual for WNBA rookies to have odd inaugural seasons. They is likely to be drafted by one crew, spend coaching camp with one other, signal a seven-day contract with yet one more crew after which, in the event that they’re lucky, find yourself on a rest-of-season contract. Celeste Taylor’s journey, nevertheless, has taken the zig-zag, up-and-down and back-and-forth character of the WNBA rookie expertise to the acute. She’s signed, re-signed and suited up across the WNBA photo voltaic system.

Drafted No. 15 total on this 12 months’s draft by the Indiana Fever, she noticed motion in 5 video games earlier than getting waived on June 25. On July 12, she signed a seven-day contract with the Mercury, debuting that night time in opposition to her former crew. The 24 minutes she performed within the loss considerably exceeded her complete enjoying time whereas in Indiana. Throughout this stint with Phoenix, she performed 4 video games, scoring a career-high six factors within the remaining recreation, a victory over the Sky. When her contract expired on Aug. 16, the Connecticut Solar instantly inked Taylor to a different seven-day contract. One night time after serving to the Mercury beat the Sky, she was in uniform for the Solar, enjoying greater than 10 minutes as her latest crew defeated the Dallas Wings. She’d play in another recreation for the Solar earlier than her contract expired on Aug. 23, permitting the Mercury to shortly signal her up for one more seven-day deal. Again in a Mercury uniform that night time, she established a brand new career-best, scoring 9 factors within the win over the Dream.

Her newest contract is about to run out Friday, Aug. 30. Phoenix is permitted to signal Taylor to a 3rd and remaining seven-day deal. They need to accomplish that—with alacrity. Though her enjoying time has remained restricted and the pattern dimension is thus small, Taylor has been a optimistic participant for Phoenix since play resumed. Whereas she has averaged lower than 10 minutes in 5 video games, the Mercury have outscored opponents by a team-best 17 factors when she’s on the court docket. Her impression, partly, is because of her unsustainably robust capturing, particularly from 3. Questions on her viability as a WNBA participant stemmed for her inconsistency behind the arc. In August, she’s made half of her 3-pointers; albeit solely making an attempt six.

Nevertheless, her 2-point scoring is sustainable, as she has proven confidence attacking closeouts, reducing to the basket and leaking out in transition. General, she seems to acutely perceive her offensive position: take open 3s or search for simple buckets across the basket.

Valued as a WNBA prospect due to her expertise as a disruptive perimeter defender, Taylor’s been quieter on that finish, not compiling a big variety of defensive playmaking stats. That doesn’t imply her willingness to strain and pester opposing ball handlers isn’t making a distinction. In her restricted time on the court docket, the Mercury have a 90.5 defensive score; for the reason that Olympic break, the teamwide defensive score is 100.9.

A burgeoning bench mob?

Taylor’s expertise and impression exemplifies that of the Mercury’s reserve corps.

Given little alternative after she was drafted No. 16 total within the 2016 WNBA Draft, Natasha Mack put within the work abroad earlier than becoming a member of the Mercury this season, ably filling in for an injured Brittney Griner to begin the season. Whereas she’s performed about 12 minutes per recreation as a reserve, she has been significantly strong of late, capturing higher than 60 p.c from the sector with an astounding rebounding proportion of 29.5 p.c. The Mercury have outscored opponents by 15 factors in her 85 post-break minutes. It’s an identical story for Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, who’s enjoying within the WNBA for the primary time since a single look in 2021. She has seen motion in 5 video games for the reason that break, enjoying a complete of 36 minutes. However, like Taylor, she’s capturing lights out when she will get the possibility, going 57.1 p.c from the sector and 40 p.c from 3.

Signed to a rest-of-season contract on Aug. 25, Monique Billings is also a part of this group, bringing her signature high-energy play to Phoenix after spending a lot of the season on a hardship contract with Dallas. In her Aug. 18 debut with the Mercury, she performed 23 minutes, scoring 13 factors and grabbing eight boards. In opposition to Minnesota on Wednesday, she acquired her first begin with Phoenix.

The starters must star

However irrespective of how good their tales are or how onerous they work, principally younger, comparatively inexperienced position gamers don’t make a profitable, a lot much less a contending, crew within the WNBA. That requires stars.

Thankfully for Phoenix, they’ve fairly just a few; they only must play like stars, particularly in the beginning of video games. Of late, Phoenix too steadily has fallen behind in first quarters. In August, the crew’s most-used beginning group—Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, Natasha Cloud, Kahleah Copper and Sophie Cunningham—has been outscored by eight factors throughout 31 first-quarter minutes. In post-break first quarters, each starter besides Griner is capturing lower than 36 p.c from the sector and fewer than 31 p.c from 3. The crew additionally is popping it over almost 5 instances per recreation in first quarters, a disproportionate chunk of the 14.3 turnovers they’re averaging in August video games.

If the Mercury can constantly begin video games stronger, the strong play they’re getting from the margins of the roster may be higher amplified, leading to extra wins, each now and within the postseason.