Jacy Sheldon picked by No. 5 overall by Dallas Wings in WNBA Draft

COLUMBUS — Jacy Sheldon is just the fifth Ohio State player to land inside the top five of the WNBA Draft. Sheldon heard her name called at the Brooklyn Academy of Music when the Dallas Wings selected her with the No. 5 overall pick Monday night.

Sheldon, a product of nearby Dublin Coffman High School, spent five prolific years at Ohio State, during which she started 118 of her 130 games. Last year, she helped the Buckeyes reach their first Elite Eight since 1993. This season, she led Ohio State to its first outright Big Ten regular season title since 2009-10.

Sheldon was interviewed after her selection by ESPN’s Holly Rowe, who asked Sheldon how much her parents — both college athletes at Division III Baldwin Wallace in Berea, Ohio — helped make her the player she became.

“They’re everything, they’ve done so much for me, especially their support throughout my college career and really my whole life,” Sheldon said. “But they mean everything to me.”

Rowe then called over Jacy’s younger sister, Emmy, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome who has become the most recognizable Buckeyes women’s basketball fan in recent years.

“She’s made a huge impact on me and my family and she has no idea,” Sheldon said when Rowe asked her about the effect of Emmy’s support.

“And it’s been cool to see really the whole world see how special she is and how much of an impact she makes.”

Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff touched on Emmy’s impact as well as the one made by Jacy after the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 came to an end in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.

“She’s just as special as they come,” McGuff said of Jacy Sheldon. “She’s such a great kid. Comes from an incredible family. And hopefully they’ll continue to come to the games. We’d love to have Emmy around.

“But just the way that you look at where Jacy was as a freshman and the way she walks out as a senior, the progress and the growth that she has made, it’s just all about her work ethic, her commitment to becoming the best player possible. And probably more importantly, the way she’s represented our program in this community is incredible. And so it’s just a really special kid, one of the best to ever play in this program, and I just can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”

Sheldon is one of three players in program history with 1,900 points, 400 rebounds, 350 assists, 200 steals and 150 made 3-pointers.

This season, she ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring (17.8 points), 11th in assists (3.8), fourth in steals (1.9) and 12th in 3-pointers made per game (1.9). She received her second All-Big Ten first-team selection and her second All-Big Ten Defensive Team honor.

Sheldon was a key part of McGuff’s vaunted press defense and, going the other way, she piloted a high-octane offense that averaged 79.3 points per game in 2023-24.

Last year, Sheldon was an integral part of Ohio State’s first run to the NCAA Tournament regional final in three decades, despite missing most of the regular season with a lower-leg injury.

She averaged 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists over the Buckeyes’ four-game NCAA Tournament run. The 5-foot-10 guard didn’t have more than four turnovers in a game during that span while serving as one of the Buckeyes’ primary ball handlers.

The year before that, Sheldon cemented herself as a first-round WNBA Draft prospect when she averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. Sheldon was also part of the All-Big Ten Defensive Team that year.

Sheldon is turning the page after an illustrious Buckeyes career. She’s finally leaving the Columbus area for Dallas — as the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft.