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Taj McWilliams-Franklin had a long an illustrious WNBA career. She played for 15 years, and while only two of those years were with the Lynx, her impact on the trajectory of the franchise is undeniable. In her first year with the team, she helped Minnesota earn its first-ever WNBA championship.

After a few years in the ABL, McWilliams-Franklin was drafted with the 32^nd overall pick in the 1999 WNBA draft by the Orlando Miracle. McWilliams-Franklin is the latest draft pick to make a WNBA All-Star team. Over the next 13 years, McWilliams-Franklin would play for six different teams, primarily Orlando and Connecticut, before joining the Lynx.

McWilliams-Franklin is widely considered one of the best post players in league history. The 6’2 forward was undersized for a typical WNBA center, but had a knack for rebounding and scoring in the paint. She is the fifth all-time leading rebounder in WNBA history, and is second in offensive rebounds behind only Minnesota’s Rebekkah Brunson.

In 2011, McWilliams-Franklin was the starting center for 33 of the Lynx’s 34 games, and averaged 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. In the playoffs, she upped her scoring to 10.6 points per game, and blocked 1.2 shots per game as well. Her play in the middle helped the Lynx win the title, and her veteran leadership brought her teammates together.

McWilliams-Franklin called an end to a highly-successful career following the 2012 season, but turned immediately to coaching. She was first hired by Bill Laimbeer as an assistant coach with the New York Liberty, but has since moved to the Dallas Wings where she works under coach Fred Williams.

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