Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a 13-year WNBA veteran and six-time WNBA All-Star, has joined the Boston University women's basketball staff as an assistant coach under first-year head coach Katy Steding.
In addition to having played professionally around the world since 1993, McWilliams-Franklin has also spent time on the sidelines. She served as an assistant coach on the women's basketball staff at Rice University during the 2012-13 season before joining the WNBA's New York Liberty as an assistant coach the following year.
Most recently, McWilliams-Franklin resumed her playing career in January 2014 with the CAB Madeira Club in Portugal, where she was teammates with her daughter, Schera.
Selected in the third round of the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Orlando Miracle, McWilliams-Franklin played for seven different franchises before retiring from the WNBA after spending the 2011-12 season with the Minnesota Lynx.
McWilliams-Franklin captured a pair of WNBA titles during career, as she helped the Detroit Shock win the championship in 2008 before leading the Lynx to their first crown in 2011. She was named to the 2005 and 2006 All-WNBA Second Team and earned a spot on the 2005 All-Defensive Second Team.
Regarded as one of the best post players in league history, McWilliams-Franklin averaged 11.4 points per game while pulling down 6.8 rebounds per contest over her 13-year career. She is one of twelve players to score 5,000 career points and ranks third all-time in career rebounds. Her 1,062 career offensive rebounds are the most in league history.
McWilliams-Franklin was also honored with the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2005, which is given to the player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court - ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.
Prior to the WNBA, McWilliams-Franklin played in the ABL during its entire existence (1996-1998). She was an All-ABL Second Team honoree in 1997 and led the league in blocks per game (1.5) while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.528).
Since beginning her professional playing career in 1993, McWilliams-Franklin has played for teams in Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.
After spending a year at Georgia State University, McWilliams-Franklin transferred to St. Edwards University, a NAIA school in Austin Texas. She was named the 1993 NAIA Player of the Year and received Kodak All-America First Team honors. She finished her career with a school record 1,837 points while also scoring the most points in a single-season (760). She also set the mark for highest scoring average (24.5 points per game) and highest field goal percentage (.640).
McWilliams-Franklin and her husband, Reginald, have three daughters - Michele, Schera and MaiaSimone.
