How Mercury's Taylor Made A Special Hall Of Fame

Penny Taylor is a Phoenix Mercury legend, and she accomplished great things while representing her country.

Aug 16, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Australia shooting guard Penny Taylor (7) drives against Serbia power forward Danielle Page (15) in a women's quarterfinal basketball game at Carioca Arena 1 during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury have had some legendary players. Some of those players started out with the team, but others came to Phoenix years later. Penny Taylor is one of the players who joined years later, as she started her career with the Cleveland Rockers.

Cleveland drafted the skilled forward back in 2001, and she was the 11th pick of the draft. She was the second Australian player drafted, as Lauren Jackson was the first pick of that draft. She was selected by the Seattle Storm. Then, two more Australian players were drafted after Taylor.

Aug 13, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; Australia forward Penny Taylor (7) brings the ball up the court past Korea center Jongae Lee (8) during the second half of a preliminary round game at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

When the Rockers folded, Taylor and her teammates were involved in a dispersal draft. The Mercury had the first pick, and as the old saying goes, the rest is history. Taylor helped Phoenix win championships, and she became one of the franchise's top players.

Taylor accomplished a lot in her career, and in some cases, it was outside of the WNBA. She represented her country in the Olympics and the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. She helped Australia win the World Cup in 2006, and the team won bronze medals after that.

Aug 13, 2008; Beijing, CHINA; Australia forward Penny Taylor (7) drives to the basket past Korea center Kweryong Kim (14) during the second half of a preliminary round game at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Phoenix's forward played well for Australia, and later on, she received a special honor.

FIBA's 2023 class features two Mercury players

Taylor was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2023, and she was joined by Yuko Oga, Katrina McClain and Amaya Valdemoro.

Oga is a familiar face, as she played for the Mercury in 2008. She played 23 games with them, and she came off the bench in all of them. She averaged 2.4 points during that time, and her best game was against the New York Liberty. She had eight points, a rebound, an assist and a steal in Phoenix's loss.

Mar 8, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury player Penny Taylor at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Taylor's Hall of Fame class had some talented players, and with a class being inducted after them, there are 33 women's basketball players in the FIBA Hall of Fame. The first class was inducted in 2007, and that group consisted of Liliana Ronchetti, Vanya Voynova, Uljana Semjonova, Hortência Marcari and Ann Meyers Drysdale. Meyers Drysdale has Mercury ties, as she was the team's general manager from 2007 to 2011.

When a player makes a Hall of Fame, it is a special achievement. Taylor is not only a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame, but she was also inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Phoenix had a special player in Taylor, and she continues to be recognized for her contributions.

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