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Scarlet Sunrise: Taylor Mikesell picked 13th overall by Indiana Fever in WNBA Draft

IMG_7408by:Andy Backstrom•04/11/23•

andybackstrom

Taylor Mikesell by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (left) and Taylor Mikesell (right) pose for pictures after Mikesell was selected by the Indiana Fever in the second round of the WNBA Draft on April 10. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Taylor Mikesell picked 13th overall by Indiana Fever in WNBA Draft

Former Ohio State women’s basketball standout Taylor Mikesell became the 17th player in program history — and first in five years — to be selected in the WNBA Draft Monday night.

Mikesell was taken 13th overall by the Indiana Fever, who grabbed the Buckeyes sharpshooter with the first pick of the second round.

Mikesell spent the last two seasons of her well-traveled and illustrious college career at Ohio State. Now, she’ll join another Buckeyes alum, Kelsey Mitchell, on the Fever.

Mikesell started her career at Maryland, where she was the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year — that year, she set the single-season school record (men’s and women’s) with 95 3-pointers in a season while earning All-Big Ten first-team honors. The next year, she was part of a Terrapins squad that won the Big Ten Tournament. The year after that, Mikesell transferred to Oregon, which she helped reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in program history.

Then came her two-year stay in Columbus. It was short but prolific: Mikesell scored more than 1,000 points with the Buckeyes alone. She’s the program leader in free throw percentage (87.8%) and is second in 3-point percentage (44.2%), fourth in 3-point field goals (230) and 25th in points (1,215).

Mikesell made the second-most 3-pointers in the country in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, seasons in which she averaged 18.6 and 17.2 points per game, respectively. This season, she was key to Ohio State’s first Elite Eight run since 1993. It was there that Mikesell erupted for seven 3-pointers, albeit in a losing effort.

After three schools, five years and one pandemic, the sharpshooting guard now gets her turn at the WNBA.

Storylines to track as Buckeyes gear up for closing week of spring practice

It’s already the final week of Ohio State spring ball. The spring game, on April 15, doubles as the Buckeyes’ 15th and final practice.

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Lettermen Row is examining the storylines heading into the intrasquad exhibition. There’s more to Saturday’s event than just the quarterback battle, after all.

Who else will suit up? How will the Buckeyes’ defense perform after the unit’s much-discussed, late-season letdown? And will Ohio State’s recent recruiting surge continue?

For more on all of those pivotal questions, go here.

Young Ohio State players who can generate buzz in spring game

The spring game is a great opportunity for underclassmen to turn heads and make their case for more practice reps and, in turn, build momentum they can carry into fall camp. That can go a long way in terms of depth chart mobility.

Throughout the spring, there have been a collection of young Buckeyes players who have flashed great potential. They have a chance to give everyone a glimpse of that potential Saturday in the Horseshoe.

Lettermen Row lists five Ohio State underclassmen, in particular, who can generate buzz in this year’s spring game. Check it out here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 144 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 228 days

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