Deeply thankful for her over half a decade in the WNBA, two-time league champion Taj McWilliams-Franklin has embraced a new challenge as vice president of basketball operations for the UPSHOT League, a new professional women’s basketball league that will launch in 2026. Operating in smaller markets, UPSHOT will provide more professional playing opportunities for women hoopers, and social and economic enhancements for the communities where the games will be held.
“I wanted my legacy to be about more than what I did on the court,” said McWilliams-Franklin, whose 14-year WNBA career included a season with the New York Liberty. “I’m in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, I’ve done all this stuff and I played in the WNBA, but when I went home at night, I didn’t feel I was leaving the game better than I found it. I wanted it to be more.”
She is proud of her work with the WNBA’s league office, formerly as the players relations and development manager beginning in 2020. In that role, McWilliams-Franklin helped players plan for life after basketball. She also worked for the NBA’s Basketball Operations department from 2018–2020.
“The main [accomplishment] is probably the team awareness meetings,” said McWilliams-Franklin. “We wanted to be in person and meet them in their space, so we flew around to every team and brought experts in with us. We did 30-minute talks about what the league has for them … and 30 minutes with a specific subject matter.”
McWilliams, a native of El Paso,Texas, who attended high school in Augusta, Georgia, was a six-time WNBA All-Star who began her pro career in Europe in 1993 before the WNBA’s inaugural 1996 season. She joined the WNBA’s Richmond/Philadelphia Rage in 1996. The product of Georgia State and St. Edwards University was the 1993 NAIA Player of the Year at the latter college.
At 54, McWilliams-Franklin is also embracing being mother to son Aiden Kai, who turned 4 this week. She also has three daughters ranging in age from 22 to 37. Only 17 when her oldest daughter was born, she understands the challenges that some young women face while still holding onto their hoop dreams.
“I’ve been re-energized with the move (from New York to Florida), with him, and with having another purpose,” said McWilliams-Franklin. “As athletes, we move from purpose to purpose, whether we’re retired or not. Having this league (fulfilled) some of what I was feeling about legacy, but I also have my little man, who’s going to be the recipient of seeing kickass women doing amazing things.”
The four UPSHOT teams currently in place are in Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Savannah, Ga. “There is an opportunity for these cities and other cities to have professional women’s basketball,” said McWilliams-Franklin. “For me, for Donna [Orender, former WNBA president], and co-founder Andy Kaufman, it’s a league of opportunity … It’s about investing in the development of players, coaches, fans, and especially those communities. We’re upping the shot of those involved.”