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With a career that includes three WNBA titles, three WNBA All-Star appearances and a spot in the WNBA’s top 25 players of all-time list, Taylor has pretty much done it all.
Her achievements with the Australian national team are just as impressive and include World Championship gold as well as two Olympic silver medals, while later this year she will be inducted into the FIBA Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
However, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the Melbourne born sharpshooter who first broke onto the scene as a teenager alongside fellow Australian basketball superstar Lauren Jackson at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Drafted by the Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA in 2000, Taylor’s revealed her initial years in America were a bit of a reality check after her early success at home in the WNBL.
“The first three years were really tough as I tried to find my feet and work out how I could stay in the league,” Taylor said.
“I got beat up my first season in the WNBA. It was super physical and as a 19-year-old I hadn’t reached my physical peak.
“It was very hard and I don’t think I even touched the ball during the first three weeks of my first training camp.
“It was physically demanding and I realised I wasn’t the level where I needed to be, but I was learning more and more every game.”
After a punishing start to her time in America, Taylor’s career was at a crossroads and a fortuitous move to team up with Aussie coach Carrie Graf at Phoenix Mercury helped take the next jump in her career.
“I got really lucky ending up in Phoenix. I had Coach Carrie Graf and we had a whole new team with Diana (Taurasi) just being drafted,” she said.
“We were a young team but with great expectations so there was a very different dynamic. The strength I gained from the first few years allowed me to just go out and play my game.
“It still took us a while to win anything, but it paid off in the end.”
Taylor’s Phoenix Mercury team went on to win the WNBA crown in 2007, 2009 and 2014 with the Aussie a major part of those successful seasons.
In the full interview with Megan Hustwaite, Taylor reflects on the early days of her career, her experiences playing with the Opals and the players who helped shape her career.
The interview is part of an SBS series - TAB Courtside 1v1, which gives fans a chance to get to know more about the unique personalities that help shape the sport of basketball in Australia.
Hustwaite, who has been covering all levels of Australian basketball for the past 13 years as a reporter, commentator and journalist, will helm the weekly show - every Thursday at 7 pm (AEDT) via the SBS Sport Facebook page - where she interviews stars of the past, present and future.
How to watch TAB Courtside 1v1 Season 2 with Megan Hustwaite
• Episodes premiere each Thursday from 7pm (AEDT) via the SBS Sport Facebook page
• Catch up on previous episodes via the SBS Sport Facebook page
