Celeste Taylor Joins Grand Canyon Coaching Staff
Former Phoenix Mercury player Celeste Taylor has been hired as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon, according to Taylor herself.
Taylor, who played at Texas, Duke, and Ohio State, begins her coaching career after her rookie season in the WNBA, where she played for the Mercury, Connecticut Sun, and Indiana Fever. Indiana selected her with the 15th pick in the 2024 draft. Taylor, known for her defensive prowess, played most of the summer with the Mercury (15 games), averaging 2.6 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes.Taylor has been dealing with a foot injury she sustained while playing for the Sydney Flames in the WNBL, which cut short her season in Australia. She attempted to fully recover while with the Mercury for training camp, but was unable to fully participate until the final preseason game and was ultimately ruled out before the start of the regular season.
Taylor has stated that she will spend the summer recovering from the injury and hopes to return to the WNBA in 2026.
“There have been teams that wanted me back this season, and I think for me, it’s about recovering and trying to stay in shape and seeing what’s right for my body, listening to my body,” she said.
Celeste Taylor
Taylor joins his former college assistant coach at Duke, Winston Gandy, who takes over at Grand Canyon after being part of Dawn Staley’s staff at South Carolina and Kara Lawson’s in Durham. Coaching is a long-term goal for Taylor, who has enjoyed working with young people, including at college camps.
“When the opportunity presented itself, it honestly worked perfectly with the timing and everything,” Taylor said. “Once I explained to Gandy what the situation is, wanting to recover but also wanting to continue on this path of being a coach and having the opportunity to give back to the youth and be in that leadership role and simply continue to contribute to the student-athletes and provide them with the best experience, it’s obvious you have to accept it.”
Celeste Taylor
Grand Canyon had a 30-game winning streak last season under then-head coach Molly Miller and made its first-ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance in program history. Miller then left to take the job at Arizona State, and Gandy was hired from South Carolina.
“This is her first time as a head coach and it’s at a program like GCU that is definitely on the rise and growing and it’s a beautiful university, but I’m definitely grateful that he gave me the opportunity,” Taylor said. “He wants to surround himself with the best people, so for him to seek me out and believe in me, to be able to help him is a blessing.”
Celeste Taylor
Before finishing the season with Phoenix last year, Taylor played for several franchises and made news by playing for two different teams, Phoenix and Connecticut, on consecutive days in August while on consecutive seven-day contracts.
The shift to the technical direction is just another example of that adaptability.
“The journey I’ve had has never been linear,” Taylor said. “There are a lot of ups and downs, so being ready for everything, but at the same time, I feel like it has made me the person I am today. Honestly, I am grateful for everything I’ve been through.”
Celeste Taylor
