Penny Taylor; an Australian legendary basketball player

• She is a legendary Australian basketball player
• She was drafted by the Cleveland Rockers
• She helped the Opals win a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship

Penny Taylor is a legendary Australian basketball player and coach who embarked on her basketball journey at a young age and excelled locally and internationally, even earning a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport.

Her exceptional skills earned her the honor of being drafted by the Cleveland Rockers in the WNBA though she didn’t play for the team for long as it was folded two years later. Taylor joined the Phoenix Mercury where she played for 13 seasons and became a cornerstone of the team where she played for three championships.

Alongside her WNBA achievements, Taylor also represented Australia internationally and led the team to a gold win at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. She retired from playing in 2017 and joined the Phoenix Mercury as a Director of Player Development and Performance. Her passion for her work helped the Mercury maintain their competitive edge and two years on, she was selected as an assistant coach for the team.

Penny Taylor Educational Background

Taylor has achieved great success in her sporting and academic endeavours. While she is a three-time WNBA champion and a two-time Olympian, she is also a graduate of the University of North Florida where she graduated with a degree in Sports Management.

Penny Taylor. Photo/Stadium Astro

Taylor’s parents enrolled her in the Belgrave South Red Devils basketball club at the age of four years and she proceeded to Upwey High School. She graduated and earned a scholarship to train with the Australian Institute of Sports in Canberra.

Penny Taylor’s Personal Life

Penny Taylor was born on May 24 1981 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Michael Taylor and Denna Noble, she has a brother named Phillip, step sister Abbey and an elder sister, Heather. She is married to her fellow WNBA star Diana Taurasi and they have two children together, a son and a daughter. She is an open supporter of LGBTQ rights and an advocate for gender equality in sports.

The former player had a successful playing career and after retiring, she became an assistant coach for the Australia national team for only one year before retiring, basing the decision on family attention.

Penny Taylor Career

Her basketball career began in Melbourne where her interest in the sport blossomed at an early age. She joined the Belgrave South Red Devils and the Australian junior basketball system where her prowess caught the attention of the Australian Institute of Sport where she won a scholarship that prepared her for the professional stage.

She was drafted by the Cleveland Rockers where she only played for two seasons before the team folded. However, she found another home with the Phoenix Mercury which marked the beginning of greatness for her and the team as well. In the next 13 seasons, she became an integral part of the Mercury’s success playing a big role in their three WNBA championships.

Penny Taylor. Photo/Sports Illustrated

Taylor also made her mark on the international stage as a member of the Australian Opals, the Australia women’s national team. While playing for the Opals, she won a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and a Bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.

Penny Taylor Legendary

The former player has achieved immense success as a player and a coach and is a true icon of the game whose impact on the sport will be felt by several generations. She has won three WNBA championships, two Olympic silver medals and one FIBA World Championship gold medal.

Taylor was also named to five WNBA All-Star teams, two All-WNBA First Teams and two WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year teams. She is a role model for aspiring athletes, particularly young women by demonstrating the power of determination and hard work. Her impact on the sport will be felt for generations to come.