Forgoing the WNBA draft, senior guard Taylor Mikesell (24) returns to Ohio State for her final season. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo
For senior guard Taylor Mikesell, it didn’t take much convincing to forgo the WNBA Draft for the opportunity to spend another year with her teammates at Ohio State.
After talking with her coaches and reviewing feedback from the WNBA, Mikesell said she decided to stay in Columbus for one more season before attempting to play professionally.
“You know, why not come back to another institution that is going to be like Ohio State?” Mikesell said. “You don’t get that opportunity more than once.”
Despite not making her decision official until the day of the deadline in March, Mikesell said she felt she would return to Columbus when she spoke with senior guard Jacy Sheldon after Ohio State’s loss to second-seeded Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 last year.
“That wasn’t necessarily the point where I decided, but that was kind of when I realized that, you know, we have a genuine, legit chance to go to a Final Four, to be a national championship contender,” Mikesell said.
In her first season as a Buckeye, Mikesell averaged a career-best 18.6 points in 32 games, the second-most on the team and seventh in the Big Ten. Her 47.5 percent clip from 3-point range was the second-best in the NCAA.
Mikesell grew up watching Ohio State athletics and said the opportunity to don a uniform is “pretty surreal.” After two seasons at Maryland followed by one at Oregon, the Massillon, Ohio, native said she enjoys playing at home in front of her friends and family.
“I really haven’t had that type of support system be that close to me,” Mikesell said. “I’ve been pretty far away for these past couple years, so coming back here was a dream come true.”
Fresh off a Big Ten regular season championship, the Buckeyes returned eight players from last season and added a mix of three freshmen and transfers in the offseason.
Mikesell’s return is a huge help for Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff, who said Mikesell will be an integral piece on this year’s team if the Buckeyes want to reach their national championship hopes.
“Heading into a second year, you know, she’s got to get a tremendous amount of respect from her teammates because of her work ethic and her ability,” McGuff said. “I think you’ll see her not only be a great player, but also a great leader.”
