Taj McWilliams-Franklin’s professional playing career was illustrious. But when the two-time WNBA champion and six-time all-star, received a call from Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman (former president of the WNBA), she assumed it was related to a current college player. In fact, Ackerman and broadcaster Debbie Antonelli wanted to tell her that she is being inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (WBHOF).
“I’m so thankful that there is a space for a single parent, Black woman, NAIA school [player] to have the opportunity to be exposed to this great game,” said McWilliams-Franklin. “It’s the ‘well done’ and the pat on the back from the community that you inhabit. That’s what makes it such a huge honor.”
McWilliams-Franklin’s path to her professional career, which lasted for 22 years, was fraught with obstacles. She was a single mother at 17 but refused to give in to negative stereotypes. Her college experience didn’t go well, so she moved, went to work and eventually found her way back to college. In her 30s, she met and married, becoming a mother again and navigating pro hoops as a working wife and mom.
“It is my greatest joy to know that I can be a positive blueprint for people that look like me and that may be in circumstances like mine,” she said. “The fact that I was successful could give them hope for the future.”
Throughout her career, she worked hard and did the best that she could because she loved the game of basketball. In 2008, McWilliams-Franklin was traded to the Detroit Shock late in the season, quickly becoming a vital part of the Shock’s third WNBA title. In 2011, she was signed by the Minnesota Lynx as a free agent and was crucial in bringing the Lynx the first of four championships. Other members of the WBHOF class of 2024 include her Lynx teammates, Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus.
After retiring from playing professionally, McWilliams-Franklin coached and then took part in the NBA’s Basketball Operations Associate program. Since 2020, she has worked at the WNBA as the Player Relations and Development Manager. Part of her multifaceted position involves helping players plan for life after basketball.
“It’s really about helping players figure out what they want to do when they’re done playing while they’re still playing,” said McWilliams-Franklin. “So, when it’s time for the next part of their careers, they’re equipped.”