Mystics head coach Tree Rollins sees himself in his newest acquisition, tenth-year forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who joins her second new team in consecutive seasons following Tuesday’s sign-and-trade deal that sent DeLisha Milton-Jones to Los Angeles and earned the Mystics a 2009 first-round draft pick.
After spending his first11 years in the NBA with Atlanta, Rollins played for four different teams over his final seven seasons.
“[McWilliams-Franklin is] a journeyman,” said Rollins. “She was a third-round draft pick, for god’s sake. But she’s been making herself into a basketball player… You have a warrior, a worker, a player that wants to be here.”
Milton-Jones, meanwhile, had sought a way out of Washington for two seasons and refused to sign a contract this year. Her designation as a core player also gave her final approval of any trade.
“We’ve explored a lot of different options over the last several months,” said Mystics general manager Linda Hargrove, including making the trade prior to this year’s draft, but she thought the current deal will prove far better.
McWilliams-Franklin had knee surgery last fall but was healthy enough this week in Beijing, where she’s with the USA team, along with new Mystics teammate Crystal Langhorne. It’s a far cry from the NAIA, from which she jumped to the WNBA in 1999. She’s averaged double-figure scoring in each of her nine seasons since except one — 2002, in which she gave birth.
“She’s a great veteran and highly respected,” said Mystics guard Amber Jacobs. “A great post player who can bang inside but can also step outside, shoot the three and be a threat. I think that’s what this team needs, veteran leadership.”
