WNBA Draft: Indiana Fever select LI's Celeste Taylor in second round

Celeste Taylor was so good at defending for Duke in 2022-23 that she was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. And the 5-11 guard was so good at guarding for Ohio State this season that she was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Now the Valley Stream native and former Long Island Lutheran All-American will see if she can make a new team and defend at a whole other level.

After taking Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark with the first overall pick, the Indiana Fever selected Taylor with the third pick in the second round of the WNBA Draft — 15th overall — Monday night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

“I didn’t expect to be here,” Taylor said, reflecting on her early days at LuHi, “but I’m here, and I am so excited that Indiana has given me the opportunity.

“I played with Caitlin when I was at USA [Basketball] for a couple of years. From going against her this year to being able to play with her, and Aliyah Boston as well, it brings me some comfort, honestly.”

Taylor attended Liberty games when she was growing up. She was Newsday's Player of the Year in her final two high school seasons.

Her college journey began with two seasons at Texas. Then came two more at Duke.

This season, the Ohio State grad student topped the Big Ten in steals at 2.5 per game. Taylor also averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

“She’s had skeptics in the past, but her persistence to detail and her tireless work ethic has enabled her to advance to every level of play throughout her journey,” Rich Slater, her coach at LuHi and now the Wheatley boys basketball coach, wrote in an email. “The same will happen in the league.”