# Taylor Mikesell

Taylor Ayn Mikesell (born September 30, 1999) is an American basketball player who is a free agent. She was drafted by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA Draft and played during the 2023 season for the Atlanta Dream. She played her college basketball at Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played for the Maryland Terrapins and the Oregon Ducks.

## High school career

Mikesell played for Jackson High School in Massillon, Ohio. As a senior, she scored 60 points, shooting 14-of-17 from three-point range, against Austintown Fitch High School. During the game, Mikesell became the all-time leading scorer in Stark County, Ohio and set the state record for three-pointers in a game. She averaged 30.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game, leading her team to the Division I state quarterfinals. Mikesell was named Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year. Rated a five-star recruit by ESPN, she committed to playing college basketball for Maryland over offers from Florida State and Stanford.

## College career

As a freshman at Maryland, Mikesell averaged 13.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition from the media and was a second-team selection by the media. Mikesell broke the school single-season record for three-pointers by a women's or men's player. As a sophomore, she averaged 11.2 points per game and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention, before transferring to Oregon, where she averaged 9.3 points as a junior. For her senior season, Mikesell transferred to Ohio State. On January 20, 2022, she scored a career-high 33 points and shot 11-of-13 from the field in a 95–89 win over Maryland. Mikesell averaged 18.6 points per game as a senior, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. She led the Big Ten and ranked second in the NCAA Division I in three-point percentage (47.5). She opted to return for a fifth season of eligibility.

## Professional career
### Indiana Fever

Mikesell was selected in the second round, and 13th overall, in the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. Mikesell competed in training camp, but was ultimately waived by the Fever and did not make the roster.

### Atlanta Dream

Mikesell signed a contract with the Atlanta Dream on June 5, 2023. She appeared in six games for the Dream, scoring 9 points against the Dallas Wings on June 20, 2023. She was waived on July 3, 2023.

### Los Angeles Sparks

On February 2, 2024 Mikesell was signed to a training camp contract with the Los Angeles Sparks but was waived on May 6, 2024.

## Career statistics
### College

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2018–19 | Maryland | 34 | 34 | 34.7 | 42.2 | 41.1 | 86.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 13.4 |
| 2019–20 | Maryland | 32 | 32 | 29.8 | 40.5 | 42.5 | 91.3 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 11.2 |
| 2020–21 | Oregon | 24 | 20 | 24.8 | 40.4 | 33.3 | 92.3 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 9.3 |
| 2021–22 | Ohio State | 32 | 32 | 34.5 | 48.2 | 47.5 | 90.2 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 18.6 |
| 2022–23 | Ohio State | 36 | 36 | 35.5 | 43.0 | 41.4 | 85.9 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 17.2 |
| Career | Career | 158 | 154 | 32.3 | 43.4 | 42.0 | 88.3 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 14.3 |
| Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference. ||||||||||||||

### WNBA career statistics
#### WNBA regular season

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| 2023 | Atlanta | 6 | 0 | 4.8 | .500 | .429 | 1.00 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.8 |
| Career | 1 year, 1 team | 6 | 0 | 4.8 | .500 | .429 | 1.00 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.8 |

## National team career

Mikesell played for the United States at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women in Spain. She averaged five points per game and helped her team win a bronze medal. Mikesell was selected to represent the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru. She averaged five points per game as her team won the silver medal.