Jacy Sheldon is officially WNBA-bound.
The Dallas Wings selected theformer Ohio State women’s basketball star with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday, making Sheldon the first Buckeye selected in the first round of the draft since the Indiana Fever selected Kelsey Mitchell with the No. 2 pickin 2018.
Welcome to Dallas, Jacy! #WNBADraft pic.twitter.com/5eFoiOkEPk
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) April 16, 2024
Sheldon is Ohio State’s fifth top-five WNBA draft pick all-time. She’s thefirst Buckeye ever drafted by the Dallas Wings.
“It's a surreal moment because I grew up as a little kid watching all these women play and how talented they are and being able to have a chance to play with them and compete against them, it's a dream,” Sheldon said after being drafted.
Sheldon was the first of two Buckeyes selected in the 2024 WNBA draft along with Celeste Taylor, who the Indiana Fever drafted with the 15th overall pick in the second round.
| Year | Round | Pick | Team | Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 5 | Dallas Wings | Jacy Sheldon |
| 2024 | 2 | 15 | Indiana Fever | Celeste Taylor |
| 2023 | 2 | 13 | Indiana Fever | Taylor Mikesell |
| 2018 | 1 | 2 | Indiana Fever | Kelsey Mitchell |
| 2018 | 2 | 14 | Indiana Fever | Stephanie Mavunga |
| 2017 | 2 | 13 | Connecticut Sun | Shayla Cooper |
| 2016 | 2 | 24 | New York Liberty | Ameryst Alston |
| 2013 | 1 | 4 | Washington Mystics | Tayler Hill |
| 2012 | 1 | 6 | Phoenix Mercury | Samantha Prahalis |
| 2011 | 1 | 5 | Los Angeles Sparks | Jantel Lavender |
| 2008 | 3 | 41 | Phoenix Mercury | Marscilla Packer |
| 2007 | 1 | 2 | San Antonio Silver Stars | Jessica Davenport |
| 2007 | 3 | 33 | Seattle Storm | Brandie Hoskins |
| 2006 | 2 | 28 | Connecticut Sun | Debbie Merrill |
| 2003 | 2 | 13 | Connecticut Sun | Courtney Coleman |
| 2002 | 4 | 55 | Orlando Miracle | Tomeka Brown |
| 2001 | 3 | 41 | Washington Mystics | Jamie Lewis |
| 1999 | Player Allocation | Minnesota Lynx | Katie Smith | |
| 1998 | Expansion Draft | 8 | Cleveland Rockers | Adrienne Johnson |
Sheldon became one of the top prospects in the WNBA draft based on an excellent five-year career at Ohio State in which she earned first-team All-Big Ten honors twice. Sheldon averaged 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assistsper game across her five years as a Buckeye, leading Ohio State to two Big Ten regular-season championships over the past three years and capping off her career by earning second-team AP All-American honors in 2023-24.
“We felt like perimeter play was a priority for us, in particular being able to knock down the three-point shot. ... We wanted to get a little bit bigger at the guard position and we wanted to get betterat defending on the perimeter. I think when you kind of look at those boxes that we were trying to check, JacySheldon was the best player to address the most of those needs for us,” Wings president Greg Bibb said after the draft.“She was someone that we had been targeting for a long time. We felt very fortunate to have her available to us at the fifth overall pick.”
Sheldon, who could have entered the WNBA draft a year ago but used the extra year of eligibility all players received during the COVID-19 pandemic to return to Ohio State for one more season, says her career at OSU was an experience she’ll never forget.
“Ohio State is near and dear to my heart forever. I'm a Buckeye fan for life,” Sheldon said last week.“This place has done so much for me. I hope I did a little bit for the university as well.”
Ranked as the No. 42 overall prospect in the 2019recruiting class by ESPN, Sheldon blossomed to become one of the best players in women’s college basketball and a first-round WNBA draft pick, which Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff sees as a testament to her work ethic.
“She came in and she was, I think, better than most people thought she'd be as a freshman, just because of her competitive character and her skill. But every year she got better. And it's just not by accident. She works extremely hard,” McGuff said during an interview session last week.“And then you talk about how she's impacted us off the court and in the community and it's just really immeasurable. And so it's been an absolute joy to coach her. We're going to miss her. I'm gonna miss coaching her. She's made my life easier for five years.”
Now, Sheldon sets her sights on achieving more success atthe professional ranks. She knows that won’t come easily, but she’s excited for the challenge.
“It's the hardest professional roster to make,” Sheldon said of playing in the WNBA.“But I think for me just staying confident and going in and being ready to learn and listen. I'm a rookie going in with a bunch of veterans, and they know that too, so I think just taking in what they have to say. But taking my game with me, and I'm excited for it. And I'm excited to get to know these girls and get to play with these girls.”
