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Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Taj McWilliams-Franklin
Taj McWilliams-Franklin 2011.jpg
Dallas Wings
Position Assistant head coach
Personal information
Born (1970-10-20) October 20, 1970 (age 46)
El Paso, Texas
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school T. W. Josey (Augusta, Georgia)
College Georgia State (1989–1990)
St. Edward's (1990–1993)
WNBA draft 1999 / Round: 3 / Pick: 32nd overall
Selected by the Orlando Miracle
Playing career 1993–2014
Career history
1993–1994 Wolfenbüttel
1994–1995 Contern
1995–1996 Galilee
1996–1998 Richmond / Philadelphia Rage
1999–2002 Orlando Miracle
1999–2002 Famila Schio
2003–2006 Connecticut Sun
2003–2004 Lavezzini Parma
2004–2005 Gambrinus Brno
2005 Dandenong Rangers
2005–2006 CB Halcón Viajes
2006 Ansan Shinhan Bank S-Birds
2006–2007 Spartak Moscow Region
2007 Ansan Shinhan Bank S-Birds
2007 Los Angeles Sparks
2008 Washington Mystics
2008–2009 Detroit Shock
2008–2009 Galatasaray
2009–2010 Frisco Sika Brno
2010 New York Liberty
2011–2012 Minnesota Lynx
2011 Ros Casares
2011 Spartak Moscow Region
2012 Wisła Can-Pack Kraków
2013–2014 CAB-Clube Amigos do Basquet
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com

Taj McWilliams-Franklin (born October 20, 1970) is a former American professional women's basketball player, and the current head coach of the women's basketball team at Post University. In the United States, she last played the power forward position for the Minnesota Lynx. In 2013, she was named as one of two assistant coaches for the New York Liberty, a team she used to play for.

Born Taj McWilliams, she married Reggie Franklin in 2003 and assumed a hyphenate surname.

A two-time WNBA champion and six-time all-star, McWilliams-Franklin's professional career has spanned three decades, and began before the WNBA was founded. She retired after the 2012 season.

After attending T. W. Josey High School in Augusta, Georgia, McWilliams-Franklin attended Georgia State University in 1989 and played on the school's basketball team for one season. However, she had become pregnant during her senior year in high school, and after the coach who recruited her to Georgia State was let go, the incoming staff told her "school was no place for kids." McWilliams-Franklin moved to Austin, Texas, where a friend connected her with St. Edward's University coach Dave McKey. She enrolled at St. Edwards as a Rhetoric major.

While at St. Edward's, she set school records and individual achievements, including:

McWilliams-Franklin said that after her first year at St. Edward's, she had the potential opportunity to transfer to a Division I school, but declined to pursue it, because she "felt loyalty is rewarded with loyalty."

McWilliams-Franklin was named to the USA national team in 1998. The national team traveled to Berlin, Germany in July and August 1998 for the FIBA World Championships. The USA team won a close opening game against Japan 95–89, then won their next six games easily. In the semifinal game against Brazil, the American team was behind by as much as ten points in the first half, but went on to win 93–79. The gold medal game was a rematch against Russia. In the first game, the American team dominated almost from the beginning, but in the rematch, the team from Russia took the early lead and led much of the way. With under two minutes remaining, the USA was down by two points, but held on to win the gold medal, 71–65.


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