Jacy Sheldon hasn’t worn an Ohio State jersey in nearly three years, but the former Buckeyes guard still sounds like someone who knows exactly what it takes to thrive in Columbus.
Now with the Chicago Sky, Sheldon was back in Dallas this week as her team prepared to face the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. After morning shootaround, she was asked what message she’d send to the current Ohio State women’s basketball players, and her answer came from experience.
"I would say embrace it - it's a grind, but honestly, it's fun. For me, the most enjoyable part was the work ethic behind it all. You want to get better every day, whether it's on your own or in practice, and just embracing that,” said Sheldon.
“You go through hard times, you go through a lot of adversity, but that's what makes everything fun. You're playing with family, so I'd just say enjoy it and really stick to the grind the whole season."
That advice carries weight coming from one of the most accomplished players in program history. Over five seasons in the Big Ten, Sheldon put together a career line of 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 35.0% from three in 130 games.
Her resume at Ohio State is loaded. Sheldon was a 2023-24 AP All-American, earned two All-Big Ten selections and picked up two Big Ten All-Defense honors. She also still sits atop the Buckeyes’ all-time free-throw percentage list at 85.0%, while ranking sixth in points with 2,024, fourth in steals with 250 and 10th in assists with 399.
Back in March 2024, Sheldon talked about what it meant to represent Ohio State and play for Kevin McGuff.
“It’s a privilege to play here at Ohio State and to put that jersey on especially a kid being from Ohio,” said Sheldon according to Kellyanne Stitts of abc6onyourside.com.
“To play for McGuff has been awesome. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve played for.”
McGuff had equally high praise for Sheldon.
“She’s as special as they come,” said Head Coach Kevin McGuff. “She’s such a great kid, comes from an incredible family.”
“Her commitment to becoming the best player possible and probably more importantly the way she’s represented our program in this community is incredible. 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’s impact also showed up in the locker room. After a game earlier in the 2024 season, teammate Cotie McMahon said Sheldon had a knack for keeping her steady.
"JC - she always just keeps me in good spirits. She knows how I can get, the team knows how I can get, but she does a good job of pulling me to the side and letting me know," said McMahon.
'Hey, it's going to come. Don't focus on the foul, focus on the shot.'
She's just keeping my spirits up, especially in a game like this. She does a great job of that."
The Sky ended the night with a 96-91 loss to Dallas.
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