24 Facts About Penny Taylor

Penelope Jane Taylor was born on 24 May 1981 and is an Australian retired professional basketball player and assistant coach.

Penny Taylor won the WNBL title with her first club, the Australian Institute of Sport, and played in China, Italy, Turkey and Russia.

Penny Taylor was born in Melbourne, Victoria to English parents Michael Taylor and Denna Noble.

Penny Taylor has a younger brother named Phillip, step-sister Abbey and an older sister named Heather.

Penny Taylor's parents enrolled Taylor in the Belgrave South Red Devils basketball club at the age of 4.

The camaraderie helped Penny Taylor overcome her shyness, and eventually move to the Nunawading Spectres.

Penny Taylor attended Upwey High School in Upwey, Victoria, and after graduating earned a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

Penny Taylor holds a UK passport due to her parents' origin.

Penny Taylor scored 20.2 points a game from 17 matches in qualifying the Rangers for the playoffs.

Penny Taylor was selected by the Cleveland Rockers in the first round during the annual WNBA draft on 20 April 2001.

Penny Taylor was selected as the first overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury.

Penny Taylor sat out most of the 2009 season after having ankle surgery that required nine weeks of recovery, but returned to the Mercury mid-season and averaged 10.7 points off the bench.

In 2012, Penny Taylor suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury of her left knee playing in Turkey during the WNBA offseason, and was forced to sit out of the Mercury's season.

Penny Taylor spent the 2014 pre-season working with both the Mercury and the Phoenix Suns health staff to make sure her return to basketball worked.

Under new coach and former Australia teammate Sandy Brondello, Penny Taylor saw limited minutes during the first eleven games of the 2014 WNBA season.

Once Brondello saw her recovered enough, Penny Taylor returned as a Mercury starter, and the team would then go on to win the following 16 games, the longest win streak in WNBA history and not lose again at home for the remainder of the 2014 season.

Penny Taylor's return helped lead the team to the best result in the Western Conference with an average of 10.5 points a game for 33 games, as well as the best record in league history with 29 wins and 5 losses, only one of whom had Penny Taylor as a starter.

The Mercury re-signed her on 8 February 2016, and Penny Taylor was present right at the first game to start her thirteenth season at the WNBA.

Penny Taylor was named Australian Opals captain for the 2014 World Championship, helping the team win the bronze medal, and was named to the All-Star Five.

In March 2017, Penny Taylor became the Director of Player Development and Performance for her former WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury.

Penny Taylor was married in 2005 to Brazilian volleyball player Rodrigo Rodrigues Gil, but they later divorced.

On 1 March 2018, the couple welcomed their first child when Penny Taylor gave birth to their son Leo Michael Taurasi-Penny Taylor.

On 26 July 2021, it was announced Penny Taylor was pregnant with their second child, due in October.

On 9 October 2021, Penny Taylor gave birth to their first daughter, Isla Taurasi-Penny Taylor, with Taurasi by her side mere hours after Taurasi played the Las Vegas Aces in Las Vegas for game five of the 2021 WNBA Semifinals.